The take-up rate for the coronavirus jab in Brighton and Hove is among the lowest in the country, according to official figures published today (Thursday 10 June).
Just under four in five over-50s – or 70,016 people – had had their second jab by Sunday (6 June), according to NHS England.
This equates to 79.1 per cent of those in the over-50 age group although many of them have their second jab booked.
Fewer than 30 out 315 council areas in England had a lower rate of second vaccinations, with most of those in London.
The figures were published as Public Health England Revealed that there had been another increase in the number of new cases.
In the seven days to Sunday, 98 new covid-19 cases were confirmed up from 57 in the previous week. The rate equated to 33.7 per 100,000 people, up from 19.6 the week before.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Rates among the 60-plus age group, who have been able to get both vaccinations, are very low.
“The largest rise was among young people who have not had the opportunity to get vaccinated yet.
“Now the that people in their twenties can book their first jab, Nicola Rosenberg, public health consultant with Brighton and Hove City Council, asks everyone to help the vaccination programme do its work.”
She said: “It’s great that the NHS vaccination programme has now reached people in their twenties.
“We can see from the very low rates in people over 60, who’ve been able to get both jobs now, how well the vaccines are at beating covid.
“Everyone who signed up for their first vaccination will get good protection – typically two weeks after the jab. But they’ll still be vulnerable for another couple of months because you need two doses to get full benefit.
“It’s still possible to get covid between jabs, although the symptoms will be less severe. We need to give the NHS vaccination programme enough time to do its work.
“To see our city buzzing in the sun again, it could be easy to imagine the pandemic is over. But it isn’t – not yet.
“To keep Brighton and Hove safe, everyone needs to keep up the covid safety measures all the time, especially where people get close together – indoors and in busy streets, garden parties, barbecues and after school-clubs, as well as places like shops, bars and restaurants.
“With more hot weather forecast for the weekend, I can imagine how tempting it might be to forget all about covid but we can’t afford to do that yet.
“By now we all know what we need do to stop the virus spreading. We just need to remember to keep at it and to encourage each other to keep going too.”
So why can I not book a second vaccination, have tried for last two weeks nearest one is Eastbourne?
We need to make it easier for people to book for their vaccination. We also need to tackle some of the bizarre ideas held by “Green types”!
You mean anti-maskers/conspiracy theorists? That’s not a “Green” thing really. As far as I can see the only prevailing trend in them is being middle aged and terrified of change.
The earliest second booking dates for people in their late fifties in Brighton were either this week or next so this looks as if it’s on track for the local availability rather than a problem.
It is not surprisng that the largest rise of Covid, in the Brighton area, is among young people. One has only to travel by train, especially, on one that stops at Sussex University, to find that many of them are not botherirng to wear masks, and there is no inspector around to keep a check on them. Last week one of them, on the train on which I was travelling was not wearing a mask and was sneezing away. That, and the continuous problem with “feet on the seat” indicates a totally selfish disregard for other passengers by young people..