Premier League footballers asked to encourage young Brits to get Covid-19 vaccine
Premier League footballers are being asked to encourage young Britons to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Government ministers believe the move will increase take-up among under-30s, reports The Sun, after polling found one in six had reservations about the jab.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has written to Premier League clubs to seek their help in reaching young people.
Conservative MP Julian Knight, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, has also urged Health Secretary Matt Hancock to use footballers in a publicity campaign to encourage vaccinations.
Knight said government should ”enlist the help of major sporting figures from the likes of the Premier League in order to put out the message that vaccination is safe, and the right thing to do for yourself and loved ones.”
Leading England cricketers made similar efforts last week, appearing in a video with Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer.
Premier League clubs have already helped the national effort, including lending their stadiums for mass testing.
Some players have also been criticised for high-profile breaches of Covid-19 lockdown rules, particularly over Christmas.