insideKENT Magazine Issue 35 - February 2015 | Page 12

NEWS

THE NATIONAL
COMMEMORATION
OF THE 75TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE
EVACUATION OF
DUNKIRK (OPERATION
DYNAMO)
CALLS ON VETERANS
TO ATTEND
A national event to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of Operation Dynamo will take place
in Ramsgate and Margate from 20th-25th May
2015, and it is calling on veteran survivors who
are in good enough health to attend the occasion
as guests of honour.
The organisers are looking to find as many
survivors as possible to join commemorations
on Wednesday 20th May for an 11.30am church
service on Ramsgate Royal Harbour, followed
by a full military parade. At 2.30pm, there will be
a VIP inspection of the 60+ Dunkirk Little Ships.
Berthed in the harbour for the day, visitors can
enjoy a Spitfire and Hurricane flypast in tribute
to these amazing ships and their brave crews.

KENT RESIDENTS URGED, IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE
FOR THE FLU VACCINE, DON'T PUT IT OFF
Protecting yourself against the flu has never been
easier and Kent County Council (KCC) is myth
busting in a bid to reach the most at risk including
young children, older people, and pregnant
women.
Children aged from two- to four-years-old,
alongside people aged 65 or older, those with
long-term medical conditions, and mums-to-be,
are among the priority groups to get the vaccine.
Statistics from last year* show that across Kent
and Medway, many people over 65 took up the
offer of a vaccine, with around 71 per cent of
that age group having the jab. However, of the
other main target groups, only 34 per cent of
pregnant women, 40 per cent of young children,
and just half of those with medical conditions
had the vaccine.
KCC's public health consultant, Faiza Khan, says
these groups are more susceptible: “Flu can
increase the risk of developing more serious
illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or
can make existing conditions worse. In the worst
cases, seasonal flu can result in a stay in hospital,
and it can even be fatal. Younger girls and boys
can get the vaccine as a nasal spray rather than
a jab, but having one can make a huge
difference.”
KCC’s interim director of public health, Andrew
Scott-Clark, explains why it is important parents
get their children immunised. He said: “Young
children are ‘super-spreaders’ and stopping them

getting the flu will protect their parents and
grandparents. Flu can be very serious for some
people, but at the very least it can mean time off
work or school, and children not being able to
go to playschool. We want to avoid people getting
the flu and families spreading it during festive
get-togethers; nobody wants a miserable
Christmas.”
Anyone can pick up the flu virus – even if you
are in general good health. Usually, 15 to 20 per
cent of the population will get flu each year, and
it is possible to pass it on to those who are at
more risk of serious illness.

From 23rd-25th May, there will be a lively
community stage and 1940s-inspired tea dances,
which will take place in the main marquee on
the harbour every day. There will also be Big
Band Open Air Concerts of the same era held
on Government Acre, which will feature the
Beverley Big Band; the Ashby Big Band; the
Telstar Big Band; Swingtime Sweethearts; and
Rose Lancaster.
Set to be a fabulous affair, head along and help
to make this a memorable occasion, especially
for the veterans who are all in their 90s now.
Profits from the ticket sales for the big band
nights will help pay for all of the free events held
over the weekend.

A very small number of people experience side
effects that are similar to those of the flu after
having the vaccine, such as aching muscles, but
this is simply your immune system responding
to what it thinks is an attack from flu.
The seasonal flu vaccine is one of the
safest vaccines in the world and is given to
millions of people in the UK each year. For more
information, contact your GP or visit
www.kent.gov.uk/health.

*Figures from the Kent and Medway Screening and Immunisation
Team (up to 31st January 2014).

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If you are a veteran and would like to attend, or
for further event information, call Angie Sutton
on 01843 230779 or visit
www.operationdynamo75th.co.uk.