TAKEAWAY firms have been enlisted to help publicise the Covid vaccine to communities in Southend, with 10,000 “grab the jab” adverts placed on pizza boxes.

Southend Council came up with the novel idea after some parts of the borough had lower uptake on the vaccine than others.

The council has previously reported low uptake in Kursaal, Victoria, Milton and Westborough wards, some of the most deprived areas in the borough, while there has been higher uptake in areas like Thorpe Bay.

Research by Public Health England has revealed England’s poorest areas are also food hotspots, with five times more outlets found in these communities than in the most affluent.

Consequently, a team set up to reach the most vaccine hesitant areas came up with the pizza box jab campaign.

Krishna Ramkhelawon, director of public health, said: “The campaign is about giving everyone the opportunity to have a vaccination and to encourage people to do so.

“We want to keep everyone safe in Southend, so it’s important to boost uptake in those locations where it is lower.”

Mr Ramkhelawon, added: “The pizza delivery outlets who are using our pizza boxes are all smaller independent businesses that deliver to areas in central Southend and Westcliff where vaccination uptake could do with a boost.

“The campaign aims to get into people’s dinner conversations and ultimately persuade more people to take up the vaccine.”

Matt Dent, Labour councillor for Kursaal ward, backed the idea.

He said: “I know in central Southend and Westborough we have had concerns in relation to the vaccine but I’ve been pleasantly surprised about how that appears to be improving in the last few months.

“I think the pizza box ideas is a great one. I understand it was developed partly in consultation with young people in the borough, not just on demographics.

“I think this ideas shows using the demographic data available to the council can improve the overall strategy and I look forward to seeing how effective this has been.”

The pizza boxes have a QR code on the side which takes people to the www.essexcovidvaccine.nhs.uk website where people can find a walk-in clinic near them, and find information on the vaccine.