Younger age groups no longer enthusiastic about getting vaccinated like the older groups

There has been a reduction in the numbers of younger people taking up their invitation to get vaccinated—as that age group sees the highest number of COVID-19 cases.

Less enthusiasm

According to an analysis by Sky News, an initially enthusiastic COVID-19 vaccine uptake by younger people has petered out, so it will take longer to reach the levels of vaccination seen in older groups.

Around two in five people aged 18-29 in England have still not had their first jab since the programme was opened up to all over-18s on 18 June.

However, in the same amount of time after 40-49 year olds had been offered their COVID-19 jabs, only a quarter had not had their first dose.

COVID-19 vaccinations in the UK began being administered in December and by 12 April, everyone over 49 years old and anyone younger with underlying health conditions had been offered their first jab.

Since then, the vaccine has been offered to the remaining groups by descending age, with all over-40s by 30 April, all over-30s by 26 May, 25-29 year olds by 8 June then all over-18s 10 days later.

The vulnerable group

A larger proportion of older people are vulnerable and so had already been vaccinated when the government opened appointments up to entire age groups.

This means there appears to be more enthusiastic uptake among younger people in the first 40 days (34% compared to 28% of 45 to 49-year-olds).

But when you look at the rollout over this period as a percentage of the people left to be vaccinated, the uptake among 45 to 49-year-olds is almost 10 percentage points higher than under-25s.

All age groups have seen a levelling off in the uptake rate after a while.

But the younger groups have levelled off at a much lower vaccination proportion, meaning a lower total percentage has received the vaccine.