The seven London boroughs with the UK’s worst vaccine take-up rates

The seven areas of the UK with the worst vaccine take-up are all in London, new data has revealed.

The capital has fallen considerably behind the rest of England in terms of the percentage of its population who have been jabbed and is the only place in the country with less than 50%.

London has only given at least one dose to 47.1% of its population, compared to the West Midlands which has the second-worst vaccine rate in England at 63.3%.

England's vaccine rates, broken down by region

Overall 70.2% of adults in the UK have had their first dose of the vaccine.

Tower Hamlets is the worst area in the UK with just 34.8% of adults having had the first dose.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has the highest rate of first doses, with 89.1%.

Of the 10 lower tier local authorities with the worst first dose rate, seven are in London.

They are:

• Tower Hamlets 34.8%

• Hammersmith and Fulham 37.6%

• Hackney and City of London 37.6%

• Westminster 38%

• Islington 38%

• Newham 38.3%

• Lambeth 39.6%

• Oxford 39.8%

• Camden 40.1%

• Cambridge 40.1%

Although many of these areas have low vaccine take up when compared to the rest of the country, they are still ahead of most of Europe.

Many European countries have only given the first dose of the vaccine to around a third of their population.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said at the start of May only 7% of people felt negative towards the vaccines.

But among the roughly 7% of people who refused the vaccine the three main reasons were fears over "long-term health effects", "side effects" and "how well the vaccine works."

The ONS said among people aged 50 and over vaccination rates were lower for all ethnic minorities when compared to white British people.

The least likely group to get the vaccine were Black African's at just over 70% saying they would take the jab and Black Caribbean's at just over 66%.

Among white British people, over 93% of them got the vaccine, with people of Indian heritage just behind on 90.9%.

The areas where the lowest number of adults have had one dose, compared to the UK as a whole

Vaccine hesitancy has been put in the spotlight recently after the emergency of the Indian variant of the vaccine.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock voiced his frustration on Monday that some people were still not getting the coronavirus vaccine, amid fears of the spread of the Indian variant.

Mr Hancock said the majority of people admitted to hospital in Bolton, which has seen the biggest outbreak of the B1617.2 variant, had been eligible for the jab but had not taken it up.

Some experts have criticised this view and said the real problem is the spread among younger people who have not been offered the vaccine at all.