Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Construction, building and transport workers least likely to have booster jab

Occupations with the highest take-up were health professionals, health and social care professionals and those in secretarial and related jobs.

Ian Jones
Friday 24 December 2021 09:19 EST
Construction, building and transport workers are among those least likely to have received a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, figures suggest (Gareth Fuller/PA)
Construction, building and transport workers are among those least likely to have received a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, figures suggest (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Construction building and transport workers are among those least likely to have received a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, figures suggest.

An estimated 39.8% of employees in skilled construction and building trades in England have had an extra dose, along with 42.6% of plant and machine operatives and 43.9% of transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, published on Friday, suggest that people in what are classed as “elementary trades and related occupations” – such as packers, bottlers, industrial cleaning or farm and forestry workers – have the lowest take-up at 37.0%.

This is followed by skilled construction and building trades at 39.8%, the ONS said.

These occupations also had the highest proportion of people that had not received a first jab, at 14.5% and 12.0% respectively, the ONS added.

Occupations with the highest take-up were health professionals at 75.3%, health and social care associate professionals at 58.7%, and those working in secretarial and related jobs at 58.4%.

The figures are based on vaccinations delivered up to December 12 for adults in England aged 40 to 64, before Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new target of offering boosters to all adults who want one by the end of the month.

This means that the figures may reflect the order in which people became eligible for a booster or third dose of vaccine, with jabs initially prioritised for older and vulnerable people before being extended to younger age groups.

Around a third of sports players in England (34.1%) are estimated to have received a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine as of December 12, according to the ONS figures.

Other specific occupations with low take-up so far of extra doses include plasterers (33.3%), waiters and waitresses (33.4%), chefs (35.0%), bar staff (36.6%), fork-lift truck drivers (37.6%) and vehicle technicians and mechanics (38.2%).

Some of these groups also have the highest estimates for people who have received no vaccine at all, such as waiters and waitresses (15.3% unvaccinated), fork-lift truck drivers (14.0%) and bar staff (13.2%).

Among other occupations with high levels of unvaccinated workers are fitness instructors (17.4%), actors, entertainers and presenters (14.9%), security guards (13.2%), and cleaners and domestics (12.6%).

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in