One in four 18 to 29-year-olds still unjabbed, figures show

Around one in four young adults in the UK have still not received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, figures show.

Latest estimates for the proportion of 18 to 29-year-olds who are unjabbed range from 23.5% in Wales to 29.2% in Northern Ireland, with 25.6% in Scotland and 27.7% in England.

In total 2.76 million young adults have yet to have their first dose, according to figures for vaccinations delivered up to September 1.

This is down only slightly from an estimated 2.81 million one week earlier.

First doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been available across the UK for adults as young as 18 since the end of June.

The figures have been published by the UK’s four health agencies.

They suggest there is still a sizeable minority of young adults reluctant to have the vaccine, despite a host of initiatives in recent weeks to encourage take-up, including publicity campaigns and pop-up vaccination centres.

Birmingham is the local authority in England with the highest estimated percentage of unjabbed 18 to 29-year-olds (51.5%), according to analysis by the PA news agency.

The next highest is Coventry (49.8%), followed by Liverpool (46.7%), the London borough of Islington (46.4%) and Nottingham (45.1%).

In total there are 54 local authority areas in England where at least one third of young adults have yet to receive any vaccine.

These also include the big cities of Manchester (43.5%), Leicester (41.8%), Sheffield (39.1%) and Leeds (38.6%).

Separate figures for vaccine take-up among 16 to 17-year-olds suggest Wales currently leads the other three UK nations, with 63.1% of people in this age group having now received their first dose.

Scotland is on 50.8% and Northern Ireland is on 39.9%.

Half of teenagers in England aged 16 and 17 have also had their first dose.