Key Summary
- NHS teams up with sea shanty group The Motley Crew to boost flu jab uptake
- New song 'Get A Jab And Keep The Bugs Away' promotes winter vaccinations
- Follows 2021 success encouraging COVID jabs
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex has teamed up with Brightlingsea-based sea shanty group ‘The Motley Crew’ to encourage public’s vaccine uptake through music.
The group produced the song 'Get A Jab And Keep The Bugs Away' that reminds eligible individuals to get vaccinated this winter.
NHS and the crew had a similar successful collaboration in 2021, encouraging Covid vaccine uptake.
With Australia witnessing the biggest flu season in its history - the situation Down Under is often an accurate predictor of what is around the corner here, NHS England has already declared “flu jab SOS” across the country, calling on eligible adults to get their jab as soon as possible to stamp out the early wave of flu hitting the health servive more than a month earlier this year.
Now, the group’s 13 members have created a new version using the tune of traditional John Kanakanaka, urging vulnerable people to get their free NHS flu jab this winter.
The Montley Crew has included every detail regarding vaccination in the song, including the local NHS vaccination website address.
The song reminds that flu is more than just a bad cold that could seriously affect one's health if dealt carelessly. It also highlights about walk-in clinics, pharmacies and GP surgeries that provide vaccine services.
“The Motley Crew is such a talented group which did so much to support us during the COVID pandemic,” commented Ed Garratt, chief executive of the Suffolk and North East Essex ICB. “Flu vaccinations offer such important protection and are easily available at many different locations. I want to thank the group for all their hard work and support.”
David Bridle, the crew’s bosun, said: “We were delighted to get the call to help our local NHS promote the campaign – especially as we’ve all had the flu jab. It’s been a fun song to write and record and we’ll be sure to sing it at our gigs this winter.”
NHS Suffolk and North East Essex has shared the video song in their YouTube channel, urging the masses to get vaccinated and stay safe through this winter.
