Councillor Jasbir Jaspal had her first jab 3 weeks ago and has called on others to have theirs when they are eligible to do so.
She said: "I, like so many other people in Wolverhampton, have lost loved ones to Covid-19 and seen others fall seriously ill – and so I cannot say strongly enough how important it is that everyone gets vaccinated against this awful virus as soon as they can.
“My cousin, who was only 57, passed away with Covid-19 and leaves behind a devastated family, a wife and 3 children and a mother who is beside herself especially having lost her other son a few years ago.
“Vaccines save lives and we know that both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs are not only safe but also provide a very high level of protection from severe illness and death from Covid-19, particularly after people have had both their doses.
"Covid-19 hasn't gone away – thousands of people are testing positive each day – and so I urge everyone to get their jab as soon as they can; it's simply not worth taking the risk not to.”
Speaking about her vaccination, she said: "I was seen on time at Whitmore Reans Health Centre and hardly felt the injection going in.
"I was given a card to write down the vaccine type and date on and taken to another part of the building to wait for 15 minutes to ensure that I didn't have a reaction to my injection.
"About 12 hours later my arm felt a little sore to the touch around the area of injection. I also felt a little tired but it only lasted a couple of days and I was soon back to normal.
"It's likely that the easing of restrictions as we leave the Covid-19 lockdown in the weeks ahead will lead to an increase in infection rates so now, more than ever, is the time to get your jab if you are eligible for it.”
Latest figures show a total of 97,286 vaccinations have been delivered in Wolverhampton, with 91,773 people having received the first of their 2 doses and 5,513 patients having had both.
Vaccinations are currently available to anyone aged 50 and over; anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable; frontline health and social care workers; and people who are in receipt of Carer's Allowance or are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if their carer falls ill.
For more information about the vaccine, including the answers to frequently asked questions, please visit Covid-19 Vaccine or Coronavirus vaccination - NHS. People will need to register with a GP surgery in England in order to receive the vaccine. For more details, please visit NHS - GPs.
