Covid-19: Luton pleas to be able to vaccinate all adults

Luton Borough Council has asked the government for greater flexibility over its vaccine rollout

A council with one of the lowest vaccination rates in England has issued a "strong plea" to the government to vaccinate all adults.

About 70% of over-40s in Luton have had a first dose of vaccine, the second lowest percentage outside London.

Luton Borough Council said a previous request to extend vaccination to all residents were turned down.

The government said the priority was to vaccinate under-50s who were in "eligible groups".

Luton's director of public health Lucy Hubber said the current rollout was "not accessible to many in our population".

She added that factors such as "social deprivation, high-proportion of frontline workers not able to work from home, demographic make-up and large numbers of multi-generational households" made Luton more vulnerable to Covid-19.

"We have a super-diverse multi-cultural community, which also means high numbers of permitted international travel will always contribute to our high rates," she said.

The council ran two pilot open access, walk-in, vaccination pop-up centres, which Ms Hubber said were "highly successful in vaccinating people in our community who would have otherwise been missed".

'Early action is critical'

But despite praise from the Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi, the council said the government had not allowed it "greater flexibility in the ways that the vaccine is offered".

The NHS website for booking vaccinations is now open to those aged 36 and over, and the government said local areas should not vaccinate young people earlier than planned.

The council said there was a "risk of another wave of Covid-19" because of the Indian Covid variant and the relaxation of restrictions on Monday.

Luton Borough Council has warned the Indian variant could lead to another Covid-19 wave

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there was "nothing conclusive" in the data that meant England "would have to deviate from the roadmap" out of lockdown.

• Why not everyone wants a jab in Covid surge town

• Eleven charged over Luton Airport fight

• Call for pandemic inquiry after nurse's death

But Ministers will step up calls for people to book a Covid vaccination as soon as they are offered one, amid increasing concern about the Indian variant.

Hazel Simmons, leader of Luton Borough Council, said the "worrying" Indian variant was present in Luton.

She said: "Vaccination offered to whole households, regardless of age, will protect families.

"Early action is critical to avoiding an increase in cases, and therefore harm from missed income or missed education or illness."

The Department of Health and Social Care said Matt Hancock told Parliament the government was following "clinical advice" to "get done as many second vaccinations as possible, as many first vaccinations as possible among the vulnerable groups, and then as many vaccinations as possible among those aged under 50 in the eligible groups".

The health secretary said: "We have taken that approach because that is what is likely to save most lives."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]