Central London least vaccinated place in England
A new report has revealed that the vaccination rate in Central London is lagging behind the rest of the UK despite fears of a fourth coronavirus wave despite rising hospitalisation.
It was first reported earlier this week in Metro that all 11 areas with the lowest vaccine coverage in the UK are clustered in the capital.
The report comes amid yesterday’s announcement that Covid booster vaccines will be offered to people in the UK aged 50 and over, those in care homes and frontline health and social care workers.
Public Health England data shows Newham in East London has the lowest proportion of double-jabbed people at just 49.5 per cent.
Along with Westminster’s 49.9 per cent, the borough is one of just two local authority areas in the whole of England where a majority of people still have not had two doses.
Even the most vaccinated area in the capital, Bromley, at 74.1 per cent, still sits in the bottom half of local authorities ranked by vaccine coverage.
Whilst Nationwide, 80.4 per cent of people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated against the disease.
Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent make up the rest of the bottom five areas for uptake.
Meanwhile, the most recent government figures show the number of patients admitted to hospitals with coronavirus has risen to 8,413 the highest figure since March.
A number of factors are believed to be behind London’s poor vaccine uptake rates.
The city’s population is younger and more diverse, two factors that drive up vaccine hesitancy.
But epidemiologists also point to the fact it’s difficult to get a handle on how many people are living in London now due to people moving out of the city to work remotely or leaving post-Brexit.
London mayor Sadiq Khan is monitoring the situation closely and is also urging people in the city to reverse its low vaccination reputation.