Covid booster jab uptake slow in Lancashire, figures show

There is a "view that Covid is over", Lancashire's vaccine boss has said

Uptake of the latest Covid booster vaccination has been slow in Lancashire, new figures show.

Of those eligible including the over-50s, the most vulnerable and those who care for them, just over 50% had come forward by late November.

The trend is the same for health and social care staff in the county, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Jane Scattergood, who is in charge of the regions' rollout, said "we've absolutely got vaccine apathy".

There is "a view that Covid is over" among the general population, she added.

Data showed that far lower numbers of middle aged people, some ethnic minority communities and younger people deemed high risk have got the jab than during previous jab campaigns.

Across all sections of the Lancashire and South Cumbria population only 51.8% of residents had opted to have the shot by late November.

However, this rate is fractionally higher than the average in the North West of England of 49.3%.

Little more than a third of the health and social care workforce have registered.

Ms Scattergood acknowledged the stark contrast between the public clamour when the first vaccines were being rolled out two years ago and today's evident apathy.

"In that December and January of 2020/21, we had unmanageable queues of the elderly in the snow," she said.

"My problem was keeping them warm while they queued up, and making our services run faster.

"Whereas now, overall, we've absolutely got vaccine apathy - or a view that Covid is over - in the entire population."

Currently, anyone over 50 can get their booster jab as well as:

• Anyone aged 5-49 with health conditions that put them at higher risk - including pregnant women

• Care-home staff and frontline health and social care workers

• Carers aged 16-49

• Household contacts of people with weakened immune systems