August 12, 2021 4.24 pm This story is over 31 months old

“I feel safer now”: We spoke to people on the Lincoln COVID-19 jab bus

A free shuttle bus service started on Thursday
The free shuttle bus service will take people to Lincolnshire Showground for their coronavirus vaccinations. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Two young people who used the free shuttle bus service to get to Lincolnshire Showground for their coronavirus vaccination on Thursday said they now “feel safer”.

The service was introduced at 8am on Thursday, August 12 and will run until 6pm, leaving from stand C at the Central Bus Station in Lincoln. It will depart on the hour every hour, picking people up from the showground for a return journey on the half hour.

It will also run on Friday, August 13 and next week between Monday, August 16 to Friday, August 20. However, uptake was slow on the first day with seven people using the service up to and including the 2pm departure.

This included recent graduate Fabio Ribeiro, 28, who told The Lincolnite he would have had his jab either way regardless of the new service, which he described as “nice, convenient, free, and a good idea.”

He was preparing to get his first dose of vaccination and said “I feel safer getting it”.

Lincoln has the highest COVID infection rate in the UK for close to two weeks, he said: “I am a bit concerned as Lincoln delayed its response to the virus, but geographical location probably made that happen, and I am hopeful the situation will improve like in other locations.

“Some people don’t think they need it and trust their immune system, but I think it is really important to get it.”

A 21-year-old male student called Alex went to get his second dose of the vaccine on Thursday afternoon after having received his first dose in his home town.

He said: “Fingers crossed it means I can see a bit more normality after today’s (Thursday’s) jab.”

Alex added: “If everyone is cautious and a bit more diligent, and takes advantage of free tests at shops in town, it will make me feel safer in the long run.

“People are entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, so long as they’re comfortable, but personally for me for my lifestyle of going to and from a lot of places, it was important to get it (the vaccination).”

People are being urged to make sure they get their vaccinations and one woman at the bus station, who caught coronavirus despite having had both doses, hopes more get jabbed.

We also spoke to Alison, 52, at the bus station, who is a school cook and had her second COVID-19 vaccination about two months ago. However, around a month ago Alison lost her taste and smell and tested positive for coronavirus.

She said: “I mainly felt fine and I wasn’t too concerned as the symptoms weren’t serious and I’d had both my jabs. I’m not concerned by the high infection rate in Lincoln as I’ve had my jabs.”

When asked why she thinks some people are hesitant about getting the vaccine, she added: “It’s their choice not to have it, but I’d advise them to have it as if they then get coronavirus it would be milder and (the vaccine) keeps them safer.”