Vaccine chiefs target ‘end of this week’ for 100 percent jabs for most vulnerable

Sam Prince, the chief operating officer for the Leeds COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said the four “priority” groups were set to be offered the vaccine first: care home staff and residents; patients aged 80 and above; front-line health and social care staff; and a new group of over-70s and clinically extremely vulnerable (such as cancer or transplant patients).

And, while all care home residents and staff have now been offered a jab, she told a meeting of Leeds City Council’s Adults and Health Scrutiny Board that a target of this weekend had been set to vaccinate 100 percent of the three other groups.

Although more than nine out of 10 of those offered the jab so far had taken up the offer, councillors warned more needed to be done to combat myths around the vaccine – with one suggesting the NHS use influential celebrities to encourage some groups to get the jab.

Ms Prince told the meeting: “If we can vaccinate over 70s first, we can reduce the number of deaths going forward. We have set up clinics for people who are about to enter treatment programmes who may become clinically vulnerable.

“Our plan is to have those four groups vaccinated by the end of this week, or they will certainly have been offered – people can make choices or there may be reasons why they can’t be vaccinated – but that is the target we are working to.”

She added all over-80s and all care home residents had been offered the vaccine, and that there had been a take up of 91 percent in each group. The over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable group, stood at 60 percent vaccinations last week.

Coun Christine Knight (Lab) suggested some younger people were “reluctant and resistant” to the vaccine, adding: “Whatever we think about those reasons, our approach to dealing with that needs to be an ethical one.

“I think it’s more in the younger age group. You see it a lot on Facebook and in community groups – there are a lot of myths spreading around and it is important for us to deal with them – but I am concerned we deal with them in the right way.”

Tony Cooke, chief officer for Health Partnerships, responded: “We understand that while lots of people were keen to get the vaccine, there were lots of people who, while not in opposition to it, were waiting to see what would happen with their friends and family, and people that they knew.

“We need to make people aware of some of the facts and, increasingly, to counter some of the myths as well.

“While we are at nine out of 10 in priority groups, there will still be people coming in – it’s not a one-time offer, this is a programme that will be with us in the future.”

Coun Denise Ragan (Lab) said: “Like we have had with Marcus Rashford promoting free school meals – someone who young people look up to – I think we need to identify a local celebrity from each of the ranges who aren’t accessing the vaccine.

“For young people it will be definitely some superstar sports hero that they can relate to, and likewise in other groups.”

Ms Prince said: “We are already trying to identify influential people in different communities. There is a fine balance at the moment with the cohorts.

“We can’t go down into the lower cohorts, and don’t want to be identifying a 25-year-old who is very influential to young people just yet, but we are trying to get them in the pipeline when it is time.”