Number of Derbyshire residents getting a Covid-19 jab has dropped off

Monday, 26 July 2021 15:03

By Eddie Bisknell, Local Democracy Reporter @EddieBisk

Fewer and fewer people are being vaccinated against Covid-19 in Derbyshire as the roll-out continues.

It comes as the majority of adults – all of whom are eligible – have now taken up the offer of a Covid jab, with health professionals now working through the minority in each age group who have not done so.

Most of those yet to have a Covid vaccine are in the younger age groups (below 50), some of which have been eligible for a much shorter period of time.

Out of Derbyshire residents aged 18 to 24 (eligible for the shortest amount of time) 28.5 per cent, nearly one in every three, have not had a jab.

This is followed by 27.1 per cent of those aged 25-29; 19.3 per cent of those aged 30-34; 14.4 per cent of those aged 35-39; and 14.3 per cent of those aged 45-49.

Figures show that the number of residents turning up to get their first Covid jab has dropped off significantly, with just 3,056 doing so in the week to July 18 with an estimated 83,936 eligible Derbyshire adults still yet to have a first dose.

This represents 0.35 per cent getting their first jabs in the past week, bringing the total up to 89.28 per cent of all Derbyshire adults.

If that rate were to continue, it would take another 27 weeks (six months) to give all remaining adults in Derbyshire their first Covid jab.

Many of these residents will have opted not to take a vaccine due to personal reasons while others are said to be more hesitant and want to see the effects on others before they have their own.

Out of the few who are turning up for first doses, those aged 18 to 24 are doing so in the highest numbers.

A negligible number of residents aged over 50 are turning up for first jabs or second jabs with local health officials stressing that both are crucial.

While the proportion of over 50s who have already had their first and second jabs is much higher (97.09 per cent and 95.10) the proportion which remains are deemed more at risk by health officials – which is why they are to be offered booster jabs (a third dose) in the autumn.

Just 0.11 per cent of adults aged 50 and above came and had their second doses in the past week.

In the week to July 18, 22,298 Derbyshire residents had a Covid vaccine, most of which were turning up for second doses. For much of the roll-out, Derbyshire has been administering 60,000 jabs a week.

Health officials stress that a Covid vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your loved ones and your community from the virus itself and the impact of restrictions and lockdowns.

They reiterate that due to the spread of the Delta variant of Covid, which spreads faster and is much more likely to hospitalise the unvaccinated population, it has never been more important to go and get jabbed.