One in four young adults in UK still to receive first coronavirus vaccine dose

Around one in four young adults in the UK are yet to receive their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, new government figures show.

In total, 2.76 million people aged between 18 and 29 years old were yet to receive a first dose on Wednesday – down only slightly from an estimated 2.81 million the previous week, according to figures released by the UK’s four national health agencies.

Their latest estimates suggest that the percentages of people in this age group still unvaccinated range from 23.5 per cent in Wales, 29.2 per cent in Northern Ireland, 25.6 per cent in Scotland and 27.7 per cent in England.

First doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been available across the UK for adults as young as 18 since the end of June.

Following reports in late July that Boris Johnson was said to be “raging” about the low uptake among young people, the government has launched a host of initiatives encouraging young people to get inoculated, ranging from publicity campaigns to pop-up vaccination centres..

In a more direct effort to coerce younger people into getting a jab, the government is also mulling making vaccine passports a condition for entry to nightclubs and “some other settings”.

While Downing Street said on Tuesday it would provide details on the scheme details “in the coming weeks”, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Wednesday that she intends to introduce vaccine passports later this month, if her plans are approved by the Scottish Parliament.

Despite these initiatives, the latest figures suggest there is still a significant portion of young adults reluctant to have the vaccine.

In Birmingham, more than half of the population in that age group have still not received a vaccine dose, according to analysis by the PA news agency – making it the local authority in England with the highest estimated percentage of unvaccinated 18 to 29-year-olds.

The next highest is Coventry at 49.8 percent, followed by Liverpool with 46.7 per cent, and the London borough of Islington, where 46.4 per cent of people in that age group are yet to receive a jab.

In total there are 54 local authority areas in England where at least one third of young adults have yet to receive a vaccine dose.

These include the big cities of Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds.

With schools returning in England and Wales this week, the prime minister has urged that the rollout of the vaccine to 16 and 17-year-olds “must go faster”.

“I would urge all 16 to 17-year-olds, everybody who knows 16 to 17-year-olds – the numbers are coming up very fast now, it is very encouraging to see more and more 16 to 17-year-olds taking the jab – but we need to go faster with those,” Mr Johnson said on Thursday.

Separate figures for vaccine uptake among 16 to 17-year-olds suggest Wales currently leads the other three UK nations, with 63.1 per cent of people in this age group having now received their first dose.

Around half of this age group have received a jab in Scotland and England, while in Northern Ireland that figure sits just below 40 per cent.

The prime minister’s comments came after Ms Sturgeon suggested the “extremely concerning” surge of recent cases in Scotland – where infections have hit several new all-time highs in recent days – was even more severe than expected after schools returned there several weeks ago.

She warned the “next few days will be crucial” in informing a decision on whether some restrictions may need to be reimposed in Scotland, urging people to get vaccinated, avoid crowded spaces and consider reducing their levels of social contact.

Additional reporting by PA