Still gaps in the vaccine take-up in parts of West
ONE in three people in part of Cornwall has yet to have a coronavirus vaccination, new official figures show.
Camborne South is listed as the area with the lowest number of people aged 12 and over who have received at least one dose of a Covid19 vaccine.
Government figures show a vaccine uptake rate in the area of 67.8 % – just over two-thirds – up to and including Monday, October 18.
The same take-up is reported in parts of the city centre in Plymouth, where one in three residents have still to get jabbed.
Official figures for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly show other areas where around one in four is as yet unvaccinated.
The next-lowest rate for at least one Covid jab was Newquay West, with 73.8 %, followed by Falmouth North at 76.6 %, and Newquay East at 76.7 %.
The Government figures include everyone aged 12 or over, and are affected by the low vaccination rate of teenagers.
Areas with younger populations will show a lower rate, as the vaccine roll-out was only extended to children aged 12 to 15 in September.
Jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds only started three weeks into the new autumn term, while those aged 16 and 17 were being vaccinated from August.
Most of the rest of Cornwall is at or above 80% for a first Covid jab, with the highest rate of 89.5 % at Looe and Polperro.
The rate for a second vaccination ranges from 62.7 % at Camborne South, to 85.2 % in Looe and Polperro.
The rate of infections in schoolchildren has been blamed for a rise in cases across England, as experts have raised concerns about the slow roll-out.
It is understood that high rates of Covid in schools have hampered the programme and data collection may also be delayed, resulting in the official vaccination figures for 12 to 15-year-olds not showing the latest level.
The figures showed just 8.4 % of 12 to 15-year-olds in Cornwall had received their first dose up to and including Monday – just over half the England average.
That rises to more than two-thirds (64.1%) of 16 and 17-year-olds, and more than three-quarters (76.4%) of 18 to 24-year-olds. Age groups from 50 upwards show a first dose vaccination rate of over 90 %.
The uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations among children would “certainly help” bring down infection levels, Sage member Professor Andrew Hayward has said.
The epidemiologist, a member of the Government scientific advisory group, told Times Radio: “The rise is amongst secondary school children, and we need to get the vaccinations up there as they can pass it on to their family members.”
The overall vaccination figures for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly show 83.1 % have had at least one dose, and 78.2 % of the population were double-jabbed by Monday. That was below the England average at 85.7 % and 78.7 %.
The latest infection figures for Cornwall show 3,195 new Covid cases in the seven days to October 14, a rate of 555.1 cases per 100,000 population – above the England average of 436.2. The UK now has one of the highest weekly rates of new reported cases in the world.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, has urged people to get vaccinated against Covid19 or take up the offer of a booster shot. He also stressed the importance of wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, after the NHS Confederation called for the introduction of ‘Plan B’ measures which would make face coverings compulsory in some settings in England.
The NHS Confederation’s warning came as coronavirus deaths in the UK rose to their highest daily level since early March, while cases are at their highest for almost three months.
England’s autumn and winter coronavirus strategy includes ‘Plan B’ as a contingency measure if the NHS comes under unsustainable pressure. That could include legally mandating face coverings in some settings, introducing Covid-status certification, and asking people to work from home.