Covid: Third of Newcastle's under-30s still unvaccinated

Health chiefs said a lot of young people had "legitimate worries" about Covid vaccines

More than a third of under-30s in Newcastle have not had any form of vaccination against Covid, new figures have revealed.

About 28,000 young people in the city have not had a first dose.

Nationally, 20.7% of people aged 18-29 are unvaccinated with 6,722,000 given first doses out of 8,481,000.

A new campaign, called a Change of Heart, is trying to reassure all young people in north-east England it is not too late to get a jab.

They are being urged to attend a series of pop-up vaccination sessions in Tyneside, Teesside and Northumberland.

The campaign also features a video of young people urging their peers to discuss their concerns with health professionals.

Prof Neil Watson, vaccine lead for the region, said many young people had "legitimate worries".

"Whether it's what they've read on social media, how the vaccine will make them feel or realising many countries won't allow you to travel there without being vaccinated, there are many and varied reasons.

"The decision to get vaccinated is personal, but we want people to know that it's OK to have a change of heart.

"My advice is to read the information on the NHS website, to talk to your GP or pharmacist, to friends, family and colleagues you trust and when you're ready, we're here."

The campaign features young people from Newcastle encouraging others to have the jab

Dr Stephen Singleton from the Integrated Covid Hub North East said: "A full course of vaccination, three jabs, offers very good protection from Covid-19, including the Omicron variant which has led to record levels of cases.

"Being vaccinated reduces the chance of serious illness in every age group, and helps reduce transmission of the virus."

The plea comes as a major study of vaccine side-effects in the USA found no link between two Covid jabs and the number of deaths recorded after vaccination.

Emily, 26, a vaccine lead who works in Newcastle, said: "There are many reasons why young people my age may not yet have had the vaccine.

"It's totally natural and we're not here to judge - it's about making an informed decision that's right for you.

"We have lots of very nervous young people come to the vaccination hub and we're here to answer their questions. Very few seem to regret the decision once it's been taken."