Vaccine uptake slower in city
OTHER CITIES
NEWCASTLE STILL DOING WELL WHEN COMPARED TO
NEWCASTLE is lagging behind the rest of the North East when it comes to take-up of the Covid vaccine, latest figures show.
The percentage of people in every eligible age group to have received a first dose of a vaccination is lower in the city than in Gateshead, Northumberland, County Durham, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Sunderland.
Prof Eugene Milne, Newcastle’s public health director, said the trend was due to the vaccination rollout across the North East generally being faster than the national rate and Newcastle having “differing demographic makeup of our city”, with concerns having been raised nationally over greater vaccine hesitancy among black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities.
He told the Newcastle City Futures Board on Wednesday morning that Newcastle’s numbers were actually “pretty good” when compared to other major cities in England and that its figures of above 95% of the eldest and most vulnerable now being protected against Covid were “remarkable levels of vaccine uptake by any measure”.
The health expert presented data running to April 11 that showed Newcastle had vaccinated 77.2% of its 50 to 54s population, while the other six localities were all between 82.9 and 88.5.
For the 55 to 59 age group, 82.9% have been vaccinated in Newcastle whereas the rest of the LA7 areas have done at least 87%.
More than 90% of the 60 to 64 age group have been vaccinated in the other six areas, but in Newcastle it is only 87.6%.
Newcastle’s number is below the England average too in four of the seven age brackets.
According to Prof Milne’s data, County Durham and Northumberland have been leading the way in the vaccination rollout.
When compared to England’s other ‘core cities’ outside London, however, Newcastle’s vaccine rollout figures look more impressive.
The city has vaccinated all age groups at a faster rate that Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham – though it is slightly behind Leeds and Sheffield in most of the categories.
Prof Milne, who said the slower progress in Newcastle compared to the rest of the North East effectively amounted to only a few days’ work, added after the meeting: “Vaccine uptake nationally has been remarkably high and public confidence in vaccination remains strong.
“While data for Newcastle lag slightly behind some of our neighbouring authorities, that represents the differing demographic makeup of our city and is also a consequence of take-up rates across the LA7 region that are generally ahead of the national average. This is further demonstrated by figures showing take-up rates in Newcastle compare favourably to other core cities.
“It remains essential that as many people as possible come forward for both doses when invited to book appointments, and we all continue to follow guidance in full as the programme continues.”