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Quarter of over-80s in England fully vaccinated against Covid, figures suggest

A small number of younger adults have also received both jabs.

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Members of the public queue at the Covid-19 vaccination site at Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey, London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

A quarter of people in England aged 80 and over are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, new figures suggest.

An estimated 25.5% of people in this age group had received both doses of the vaccine as of March 21.

In some regions the proportion is even higher, with an estimate of 26.1% for south-west England and 30.6% for north-east England and Yorkshire.

People aged 80 and over were among the first groups on the priority list for Covid-19 vaccines, with initial doses being offered from early December.

HEALTH Coronavirus Vaccine
(PA graphic)

Second doses must follow within 12 weeks of the first, meaning an increasing number of people in this age group will be due another jab in the next few weeks.

The figures for vaccinations have been published by NHS England, and they have been combined with population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

They also suggest 3.5% of people aged 75 to 79 have had both doses, along with 1.5% of the 70 to 74 and 65 to 69 age groups.

A small number of younger adults in England are now fully vaccinated, including 2.8% of 50-54 year-olds and 1.7% of those aged 16 to 49.

Meanwhile, an estimated 87.0% of people aged 50 and over in England have now received their first dose of vaccine, including 80.0% of 55 to 59 year-olds and 65.0% of 50 to 54 year-olds.

Regional estimates range from 78.8% of people 50 and over in London to 90.5% for south-west England.

HEALTH Coronavirus Vaccine
(PA Graphics)

Analysis by the PA news agency shows that at local authority level, the highest estimated take-up for people 50 and over is in Warwick (96.8%), Stratford-on-Avon (96.8%) and Stafford (94.6%).

The lowest is in the City of London (60.4%) along with the London boroughs of Westminster (61.0%) and Tower Hamlets (66.5%).

The Government has set a target of offering a first dose of vaccine to everyone in England aged 50 and over by the middle of April.

HEALTH Coronavirus Vaccine
(PA Graphics)

Some 93.7% of residents at older adult care homes in England eligible to have their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine had received the jab by March 21.

Residents are classed as eligible for the vaccine if they have not had Covid-19 in the previous 28 days.

The equivalent figure for staff of older adult care homes is 76.6%.

Just 64.5% of eligible staff of older care homes in London are estimated to have received their first jab, however.

Lambeth in London is the local authority with the lowest proportion of older adult care home staff to have received a first dose (45.0%), followed by Wandsworth (55.8%), Luton (57.6%) and Camden (58.6%).

Shropshire recorded the highest proportion, at 87.4%.

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