What’s stopping so many young people from getting jabbed?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was said to be “raging” last week, after more under-30s across the UK continued to turn down their Covid-19 jabs. Currently, around 34 per cent of 18 to 29-year-olds in England – around three million people – have not been vaccinated at all. This is despite all over-18s now being eligible. The situation is said to have angered the PM so much that he’s now considering making jabs compulsory for university students in order for them to attend lectures and move into halls of residence. Celebrities have joined in the campaign to increase vaccination rates, with England football manager Gareth Southgate saying jabs are a chance to “get your freedom back”. Across the pond, Gen Z pop star Olivia Rodrigo has been at the White House to record videos as part of a government drive urging youngsters to get vaccinated. In the UK, there has been a sharp rise in young adults getting the virus, with some ending up in intensive care. However, young people are said to be “hesitant” due to health concerns and a lack of trust in the government. The Apprentice star Karren Brady recently revealed that, despite begging her twentysomething children, they “flatly refuse” to get vaccinated because they believe they will have “blood clots... problems with fertility, periods and almost everything else.” Here, Closer speaks to two young women with very different views on the controversial topic...