• Range of frames and GIFs with designs featuring the NHS, the Premier League, the Beano and Charlie Mackesy
• Images are available across the UK and allow users to show “I’ve had my vaccine” or pledge “I’ll get my vaccine”

British institutions the Premier League and the Beano, much loved author, artist and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, and social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are backing a new nationwide social media campaign launched by government and the NHS for people to show their support for the vaccine roll-out.

The new initiative allows users to update their profiles with a range of specially designed profile frames and graphics. People can use these to show “I’ve had my vaccine” or make a pledge that “I will get my vaccine” when their time comes. Famous faces including iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes and actor Brian Blessed are among those set to join in with the campaign.

During the pandemic social media has been a vital tool for people to connect and share updates with their loved ones. The new collection of graphics will allow people to celebrate getting the vaccine with their family, friends and followers and say thank you to the hard work of our NHS heroes.

The designs launched today include artwork featuring the NHS, the Premier League, British favourite the Beano and beloved author, artist and illustrator Charlie Mackesy, who have all helped create images for those that wish to show their support for the vaccine roll-out.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

It’s truly remarkable how quickly we are meeting our vaccine roll-out targets and so protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities. The pace and progress of the roll-out is testament to the way such a huge team has pulled together to support each other through this pandemic, and the tremendous national effort of our NHS workers, volunteers, local partners and the armed forces.

We know people are turning to social media more than ever to stay in touch with family and friends. These new graphics will make it easy for people to share their support for the jab and thank the NHS – whether that’s to mark the pivotal moment that they get their vaccine, or pledge to get it when it’s their turn.

It’s been inspiring to hear the stories of people getting their jab across all 4 corners of the UK and it’s vital we keep up this momentum.

The range of new Facebook frames and Instagram GIFs will be ready to use on social media from today (19 February) and will also be available in 13 languages from Monday so that people from communities all across the UK can support the campaign. The campaign aims to reach tens of millions of people across the UK as the roll-out continues over the next few months. These will be the first in a series of graphics created for a range of platforms that will launch over the coming months.

The roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine is the largest medical deployment in UK history. Over 16 million people have now received their first dose of the vaccine across the UK, and this week people in priority groups 5 and 6 started to receive their jabs as the roll-out expands further.

NHS England’s primary care director and London GP Nikki Kanani said:

I’ve seen first-hand the enthusiasm for being protected when vaccinating people against coronavirus, and it’s great people have a new way of showing support for the roll-out online – it’s vital everyone is confident to have the vaccine when it is their turn to do so.

Vaccines are safe, simple and effective, and word of mouth is a great way of communicating that message so that our friends, family and loved ones are encouraged to take up the jab.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters said:

Throughout the pandemic, Premier League clubs and players have been proud to provide a wide range of support to local communities, the NHS and other frontline workers – from direct financial contributions to providing facilities for medical use and helping vulnerable members of society. We are pleased to be able to extend this support and help promote important messaging around the vaccine programme.

Charlie Mackesy said:

The vaccination programme has brought hope to many, and I’m happy to help people mark the moment they get the vaccine and give thanks to our wonderful NHS.

As well as promoting the new campaign, Facebook and Instagram have worked closely with the NHS and government throughout the pandemic to help direct people to accurate information and advice, and to do more to identify and take action to remove incorrect claims about the virus.

Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said:

We’ve been supporting the NHS and the UK government throughout the pandemic by directing over 10 million people to their websites and sharing vital information within our Facebook COVID-19 Hub. We’re promoting these unique profile frames and GIFs to all UK Facebook and Instagram users to raise vital vaccine confidence and we’re giving free advertising credits to the NHS so they can reach the public with their campaign.

I got my vaccine this week and feel grateful to the NHS for all their hard work so I want to show my support in whatever way I can. It only takes a minute to change your profile picture – why not give it a go today!

The UK’s vaccination programme will be extended to more groups in the coming months, with the government aiming to offer the vaccine to everyone over 50 by May, and all adults by September.

Background information

Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine

The Facebook frames and GIPHY stickers will be available in English from Friday 19 February and in all UK language variations from Monday 22 February.

Last week, the government and NHS published a new plan setting out the work we are doing in partnership with communities at a national and local level to increase vaccine uptake and ensure equity of access. Building on work already underway to reach more hesitant audiences, which includes translating vaccine resources into over 13 languages, the plan aims to raise awareness of how the NHS is making vaccination accessible to all, especially ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities.

How-to guide to using Facebook frames and Instagram GIFs

Facebook frame: desktop

To add one of the COVID-19 vaccine frames to your profile picture:

1. Go to www.facebook.com/profilepicframes
2. Search for the ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ frames and select the one you want to use
3. Click ‘Use as Profile Picture’ in the bottom right of the screen to save

Facebook frame: in-app

To add one of the COVID-19 vaccine frames to your profile picture:

1. Open your profile in the Facebook app
2. Click your profile picture
3. Click ‘Add frame’
4. Search for the ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ frames and select the one you want to use
5. Click ‘Use as Profile Picture’ to save

Instagram GIPHY

To use one of the COVID-19 vaccine instagram stickers (from GIPHY) on your Instagram story:

1. Open instagram and add to your story – take a new picture or use a photograph or video of your choosing
2. From your instagram story, tap the ‘add media’ button, or swipe up to add Stickers from GIPHY
3. In the search bar, use the search term ‘NHS Covid Vaccine’ and select a sticker of your choosing (scroll through the options to find the one you want to use)
4. Position this on your story image or video
5. Use the hashtag #CovidVaccine if you wish, then post

“The Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Secretary of State held a virtual meeting, for the second time in this format since Secretary Blinken took office, to discuss Iran and other pressing issues. They reaffirmed the centrality of the transatlantic partnership in dealing with the security, climate, economic, health and other challenges the world faces.

“Regarding Iran, the E3 and the United States expressed their shared fundamental security interest in upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime and ensuring that Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon. In this context, the conclusion of the JCPOA was a key achievement of multilateral diplomacy. The E3 welcomed the United States’ stated intention to return to diplomacy with Iran as well as the resumption of a confident and in-depth dialogue between the E3 and the United States. The Ministers affirmed strong interest in continuing their consultations and coordination, including with China and Russia, on this key security issue, recognizing the role of the High Representative of the European Union as Coordinator of the Joint Commission.

“The E3 and the United States affirmed their shared objective of Iran’s return to full compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA. Secretary Blinken reiterated that, as President Biden has said, if Iran comes back into strict compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, the United States will do the same and is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran toward that end.

“In this context, the E3 and the United States called on Iran not to take any additional steps, in particular with respect to the suspension of the Additional Protocol and to any limitations on IAEA verification activities in Iran. The E3 and the United States are united in underlining the dangerous nature of a decision to limit IAEA access, and urge Iran to consider the consequences of such grave action, particularly at this time of renewed diplomatic opportunity. They reiterated their full support for the professional and impartial role of the IAEA and its Director General and their efforts to implement the necessary verification and monitoring of Iran’s nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.

“The E3 and the United States also expressed their shared concerns over Iran’s recent actions to produce both uranium enriched up to 20% and uranium metal. These activities have no credible civil justification. Uranium metal production is a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon.

“The E3 welcomed the prospect of a U.S. and Iranian return to compliance with the JCPOA. The E3 and the United States affirmed their determination to then strengthen the JCPOA and, together with regional parties and the wider international community, address broader security concerns related to Iran’s missile programs and regional activities. The E3 and the United States are committed to working together toward these goals.

“The Ministers also called on Iran to release all our arbitrarily detained nationals and reunite them with their families. They also expressed deep concern about the continuing grave human rights violations in Iran.

“The E3 and the United States look forward to engaging with partners in order to work together toward these key objectives.

“They expressed their joint determination to work toward de-escalating tensions in the Gulf region. They stressed in particular the urgency of ending the war in Yemen, while reaffirming their steadfast commitment to the security of their regional partners. On Yemen, the Ministers agreed to work closely together to support United Nations Special Envoy Griffiths’ efforts to end the war and to address the humanitarian crisis. They expressed concern about the recent Houthi offensive against Marib and strikes against civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, calling upon the Houthis and all Yemeni parties to engage constructively in the political process.

“On Iraq, the Ministers reiterated their condemnation of the February 15 rocket attack in Erbil. They expressed their condolences for the victims, their families, and the Iraqi people and emphasized that attacks on U.S., Coalition and NATO personnel and facilities will not be tolerated. Ministers reiterated their support for the Iraqi Government.

“Discussing the evolving challenge posed by Daesh, ministers re-committed to continuing critical efforts to target and eliminate the Daesh threat in Iraq and Syria, including efforts via the 83-member Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh. They also emphasized the growing importance of coordinating efforts to target the threat posed by Daesh branches and networks worldwide.

“The Ministers agreed to closely coordinate to address the global challenges posed by China, as well as the need for cooperation across a range of issues, including climate change.

“On Myanmar, they condemned the military coup. They called on military leaders to immediately end the state of emergency, restore power to the democratically elected government, refrain from violence, release all those unjustly detained, and respect human rights and the rule of law.

“The Ministers agreed on the importance of further strengthening NATO and ensuring it is positioned to address today’s strategic realities, building on the NATO Reflection Group’s recommendations.

“Ministers agreed that strong international and multilateral cooperation was essential to ending the COVID 19 pandemic and building back better collectively. They reviewed efforts on the global response, including support for rapid deployment of vaccines globally, primarily through the ACT-A/COVAX facility.

“They agreed to work with urgency to address the climate crisis ahead of the 26th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow in November. They agreed that significant collective action was needed to implement the Paris Agreement, including keeping a 1.5 degree Celsius temperature rise within reach. They looked forward to the upcoming U.S.-hosted Leaders’ Climate Summit as an important forum for enhanced climate ambition.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed to fellow Defence Ministers representing NATO’s 30 members that the UK will scale up its own commitment in line with the Alliance’s expansion of NATO Mission Iraq.

The virtual Defence Ministerial also provided the opportunity for the Defence Secretary to detail to allies how the UK Carrier Strike Group 21 – which is setting off for its first operational deployment this year – will boost NATO’s capability to respond to the complex threats we face as an Alliance in an unstable world.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The UK is setting a course for the future of NATO by modernising our own Armed Forces to keep the country and its allies safe in a more threatening world, following the record settlement of more than £24bn.

Our commitment to NATO is at the heart of this approach and I was pleased to discuss with allies our shared vision of deepened cooperation, refreshed operational concepts, and the use of cutting-edge technology to counter the threats of today and tomorrow.

First and foremost we are committed to delivering on NATO operations. The UK Government remains resolute in our support to the government of Afghanistan in the face of unacceptable Taliban violence. We are determined to ensure that conditions are met for achieving a lasting political settlement, which is the only means of ensuring security from terrorism for the people of Afghanistan, the United Kingdom and its Allies.

Mr Wallace highlighted the forthcoming Integrated Review which will set the course for a modernised, threat-focused and sustainable defence – with NATO occupying a central place. The Defence Secretary told allies that the UK’s commitment to NATO remains unwavering and explained how the Integrated Review will match the Alliance’s goals by increasing spending, embracing innovation and delivering a force structure embracing all domains

Allies cooperating to counter shared threats

The NATO Defence ministerial provided the opportunity for ministers to discuss the complex challenges facing the Alliance including current operations, countering hostile state activity, and the emergence of disruptive technologies.

Ministers agreed an implementation strategy for researching, investing in and adopting emerging technologies into the Alliance. This will ensure NATO stays ahead of the curve and maintains a technological edge ahead of adversaries.

Defence Ministers also discussed the future of the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The Defence Secretary affirmed to allies that the UK remains committed to the operation and supporting the Afghan peace process.

Mr Wallace also welcomed the progress made by allies towards fairer burden sharing. 2021 will be the seventh consecutive year of increased defence spending by European allies and Canada.

NATO Mission Iraq expands

Over the two-day virtual conference defence ministers from across the NATO Alliance agreed to expand the mission to Iraq on an incremental basis to bolster Iraq’s fight against the terrorist threat of Daesh.

This will see the UK continue to support the NATO mission which provides professional military training to the Iraqi security forces and is being expanded to cover more Iraqi Government institutions. The UK will work with NATO over the coming weeks and months to confirm the size and nature of the UK’s contribution. Working alongside our international partners, UK personnel have trained over 120,000 Iraqi and Kurdish security forces as part of counter-Daesh efforts.

The UK is committed to supporting the government of Iraq in further developing its counter-terrorism capabilities, as the threat from Daesh continues to evolve.

UK Carrier Strike Group sails with Allies

The UK Carrier Strike Group will also be extending NATO influence during its maiden deployment later in the year. NATO allies will contribute to the CSG 21 deployment, including the United States who will be contributing fifth-generation aircraft from the US Marine Corps, and a US Navy destroyer.

The Carrier Strike Group’s capabilities will be on show during Exercise Strike Warrior, taking place off the coast of Scotland in May. The UK-led war-fighting exercise, including several other NATO navies, will be the final test for the Carrier Strike Group before it undertakes Air and Maritime missions in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), together with its industry partner, Landmarc Support Services (Landmarc) and subcontractor KWR Plant Hire, carried out the tree-felling clearance scheme to remove trees infected with ash dieback.

Thousands of ash trees across Salisbury Plain Training Area, as well as many more across the country, are infected with the disease. There is no cure or treatment and over time infected trees will weaken, causing branches to fall and trees to eventually die and collapse.

This presents a significant health and safety risk, especially alongside roads, public rights of way and woodland areas used by military personnel for training and the public for recreation activities.

For the safety of road users and local residents, it was necessary to remove infected trees along the A345. This posed many challenges due to the location and local infrastructure, not least because of the power lines that were tangled up with trees. As a result, following detailed consultation with local authorities and Highways England, a number of temporary road closures and diversions were implemented. These enabled the safe use of specialist machinery to protect onsite workers and the general public.

The process also required 5 power shutdowns to fell the trees that were wrapped around the power lines. This protected the local power network from disruption if ash dieback had caused a branch or tree to bring a power line down. Throughout the work, public transport continued as bus services were still able to operate.

The early completion of the felling along the A345 means reduced disruption for local people and a lower cost to the taxpayer. About 2300 tonnes of wood was removed by the felling team in 45 days. This was slightly more than expected and was sold as biomass chips to be used for energy generation, partially offsetting the cost of the operation.

Further ash dieback felling continues at Heytesbury and more is planned in several areas across Salisbury Plain. Regular inspections will continue and may identify other areas where felling is required.

Lieutenant Colonel Tim Jalland, DIO’s Commander South West Training Estate, said:

This is a fantastic example of good planning, communications and collaboration which has enabled the project to finish well ahead of schedule, protecting those that use the estate and the public at large.

I’m really pleased to see how successful it has been and would like to thank the local communities for their patience and forbearance whilst having to deal with the inevitable disruption caused by the road closures.

Judith Peachey, Landmarc’s Forestry and Arboriculture Manager said:

So far, around 80,000 infected trees have been felled on Salisbury Plain, including on 20 miles of roadside. We now need to focus on the process of replanting and regeneration and have held extensive discussions with the Forestry Commission and Natural England about the restoration of felled areas, which is reflected in the approved felling licences for the operations.

Within the woodland compartments, space has been left for the natural regeneration of tree seed already in the soil and this will be enhanced with the planting of native broadleaved species. A small proportion of felled timber has also been left on site to provide deadwood habitats to help maintain the current ground flora as much as possible.

The removal of ash is a devastating loss to the local landscape, but we are carefully considering which species will be planted so that we can provide a woodland that is more resilient to disease for future generations.

DIO and Landmarc began the programme to fell infected trees across Salisbury Plain Training Area in early 2020 at Ashdown Copse near Tidworth.

Further information on ash dieback on the MOD estate can be found at Ash Dieback on the Ministry of Defence estate.

Queries regarding the felling process on Salisbury Plain Training Area should be directed to nsc@landmarc.mod.uk or 0800 022 3334.

Further information

• Ash dieback is a serious fungal disease of ash trees, caused by a fungus now called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus.
• infection can lead to the death of young trees in just 2 to 3 years, and of mature trees within 3 to 5 years.
• all trees removed had been identified during health and safety tree inspections and surveys. These are carried out annually to monitor the health of our trees in high-risk locations.
• the ash dieback tree felling work across Salisbury Plain is taking place in phases and aims to be completed in 2022, with tree health surveying and monitoring continuing once felling is complete. The first phase of felling targeted Ashdown Copse. Phase 2 included the A345 felling and continued work at Ashdown Copse, as well as other locations where ash dieback has been identified including Erlestoke, Everleigh, Heytesbury and along neighbouring roadsides. However, there may be further outbreaks to be dealt with in future years.
• to protect the public and estate users, DIO foresters, Landmarc staff and ecologists are working with the Forestry Commission and Natural England to inspect and remove the infected trees.
• felling licences have been approved by the Forestry Commission. Licences are only granted by the Forestry Commission after consultations with statutory bodies and a period of public consultation. Trees felled will be replaced with suitable alternatives, in line with the Felling License approved by the Forestry Commission.
• we are felling the minimum number of trees to reduce risk to an acceptable level and only in areas where there is a clear risk of harm to people. In other areas infected ash trees will be left and regularly surveyed, to see if they have any natural resilience or resistance to the disease.