CONSPIRACY theorists spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines have been slammed as “unbelievable.”

The comments were made by Northumberland County Councillor Richard Dodd at a meeting of the authority’s health and wellbeing overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Dodd was quizzing Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s executive medical director, Alistair Blair, on future plans for vaccination in the UK and was concerned about the impact conspiracy theories could have on vaccine uptake.

He said: “Can I ask what the percentage of take-up is? We all know that there’s a cabal who think lots of things that they’ve gleaned off the internet, that they’re all going to be poisoned.

“When you talk to one or two of them, it’s unbelievable. Even the plans above are dropping particles that are going to take over your body.

“What percentage is there that won’t be vaccinated or are in the cabal that are very anti-vax?”

Dr Blair explained that the region had very high vaccine uptake and that future doses of the jab would be targeted at those people more at risk, who also had higher take-up than other groups.