Nearly 80% of adults in Leeds will get Covid vaccine as soon as available, myGP study finds

A survey by GP booking app myGP found 79 per cent of Leeds adults who responded will opt in for the vaccine, but just 46 per cent plan to vaccinate their children.

It comes after pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced on Monday it has made a coronavirus vaccine breakthrough.

A myGP poll of 180 parents in the UK found the main reason parents wouldn't vaccinate their children is due to the speed at which the vaccine has been developed.

Almost a quarter of parents said they didn't consider their children being ‘high risk’ enough to require a vaccine, while 11 per cent of parents said they would prefer their children to catch Covid-19 so they could build up antibodies.

Research has found that immunity to Covid-19 may last as little as one month, suggesting that recovered patients would eventually find themselves just as vulnerable to coronavirus as they were before initially contracting it.

Dr Harriet Leyland, myGP’s clinical advisor, said: "It’s encouraging to see such a large majority of UK adults planning to have the vaccine when it’s available to them.

"The roll-out will start with elderly care home patients and all medical staff, followed by patient groups based on age - with the eldest coming first.

"NHS GPs are positive about the rollout and are gearing up to deliver the vaccines. It’s an exciting step in the right direction, for all.

“It’s important now for us all to remain patient, and ensure we watch out for updates regarding when we are eligible for a vaccine.

"The UK media will share general updates on what is happening and when, and GP practices will communicate with patients directly as and when the vaccine is available."

Volunteers on the Pfizer vaccine trial have spoken of their pride and excitement after data suggested the jab was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection.

More than 43,500 people in six countries have taken part in the phase three trial run by the pharmaceutical giant and its partner BioNTech.

Among the volunteers for that trial was Jack Sommers, 35, a freelance journalist from south-west London.

He said: “In years to come we’ll always remember this, in decades we’ll remember this, in 50 years we’ll talk about the coronavirus lockdown – we might even still be living in its shadow, I think it will change things forever.

“So when I’m asked ‘what did you do in coronavirus lockdown?’ – I didn’t write a novel, I didn’t become an Olympian, but I did take part in a vaccine trial and that’s a story I’ve told many times in the last six months and I imagine I’ll probably tell in some form or other for the rest of my life.

“It’s almost like ‘what did you do in the great vaccine attempt?’ and people will say that in years to come and I can say I did this – it’s small but important.”

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.