Labour councillor is suspended after claiming she had a Covid vaccination ‘privately’

Labour councillor is suspended after boasting on Facebook she had a Covid vaccination ‘privately’ despite jabs only being available on the NHS

  • Jamila Azad, 65, is at the centre of an investigation after posting on social media
  • She claimed to have had jab from a private medic amid ‘a long wait for the NHS’
  • Post came despite Cllr Azad being old enough to have the jab in priority group 

A Labour councillor has been suspended from the party after claiming she had visited a ‘private care doctor’ for a Covid jab – which are only available on the NHS.

Jamila Azad, 65, was today at the centre of an investigation after posting on social media she had been vaccinated.

The Facebook status update said she had received a vaccination from a private medic amid ‘a long wait for NHS waiting list’.

It is made stranger by the fact the Oxfordshire County and City councillor’s age means she is currently able to get the jab anyway. 

This morning the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as well as the Labour Party were examining her claim. Ms Azad did not respond to a request to comment from MailOnline.

The now deleted post last week said: “My darling daughter took me to a Private Care Doctor for Covid 19 vaccine.

Oxfordshire County and City councillor Jamila Azad declined to comment on the vaccine

The post was put on Cllr Azad's public Facebook page but has since been deleted

The post was put on Cllr Azad’s public Facebook page but has since been deleted

“A long wait for NHS waiting list. We had take away from Akber take away.”

The post, which has since been removed, included photos of the councillor and another woman.

They appear to be receiving jabs from a medic in scrubs and PPE.

Ms Azad, represents St Clements and Cowley Marsh on Oxfordshire County Council, and St Clements on Oxford City Council for Labour, but she has now been suspended from the party. 

Cllr Jamila Azad has been suspended by the whips of Oxfordshire County Council and Labour

Cllr Jamila Azad has been suspended by the whips of Oxfordshire County Council and Labour

When asked to comment on the post and her suspension from Labour, Ms Azad said she did not want to comment.

Susan Brown, the Leader of the Labour Group at Oxford City Council and Liz Brighouse, Leader of the Labour Group at Oxfordshire County Council issued a joint statement in relation to the post. 

It said: “Following a recent post on her Facebook account about her Covid 19 vaccination, Cllr Jamila Azad has been suspended by the whips of both the Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council Labour Groups, pending further investigation.

“Cllr Azad has now removed the post in question.

“We will be making no further comment on this matter until formal investigations into it have been completed.”

According to the Government it is currently illegal for coronavirus vaccines to be administered outside of the NHS.

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency had only authorised Covid vaccinations for use through the NHS.

The Government spokesman added: “It would be illegal to administer vaccines outside of the NHS and, if this happened, the MHRA would take enforcement action.”

Current Covid vaccinations which have been authorised include the Oxford-Astra Zeneca Vaccine, and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.