The Medway Labour and Co-operative Group strongly condemn the anti-vaccine demonstration outside one of our community’s schools this week.

Cllr Alex Paterson, Member for Rochester West, said:

“These anti-science cranks are not welcome outside schools in Rochester or elsewhere in Medway. My own children have both been vaccinated and I am pleased to have booked my booster appointment. As a father, I feel reassured that younger teenagers are now being offered the jab too as a sensible precaution to help keep schools open and safe.

“As we await more information about the latest variant, the best thing our community can do is to get vaccinated, get boosted, and get into the habit of wearing masks again. It is ironic that these sinister bullies have reared their heads as infections are once again on the rise in Medway. They are a joke, but this joke is not funny.”

Cllr Clive Johnson, Medway Labour and Co-operative Group Spokesperson for Children and Young People said:

“The sign brandished outside Rochester Grammar School this week was a demonstrable lie. The vaccine has saved lives around the world. One only must look at the correlation between levels of vaccine uptake and coronavirus deaths around the world to notice the pattern that the vaccine does indeed save lives. Research has shown the unvaccinated are 11 times more likely than those who have taken the vaccine.

“We thank Medway’s teenagers, many of whom have already taken the vaccine, for doing their part to protect our community.”

Lauren Edwards, Labour candidate in the Rochester East by-election said:

“I urge Kent Police Medway to take this behaviour by an anti-vaccination minority seriously. There should be zero tolerance of intimidation at our local schools. Labour representatives on both sides of Maidstone Road will stand together to stamp this behaviour out.”