Health chief: Vaccinating younger people ‘biggest challenge’ of rollout

Manchester’s push to protect younger people from Covid-19 is proving to be ‘biggest challenge’ of the vaccination rollout, the city’s most senior public health official has said.

Rising infection rates are being driven by adults aged between 20 and 24, the majority of whom have only recently become eligible for a vaccine.

Just under half of Manchester’s population is aged under 25 – higher than the England average – with around 278,000 over-18s now able to get jabbed.

David Regan, the city’s director of public health, says the majority of new cases were among a younger working age population enjoying the unlocking of restrictions on hospitality, as well as England’s progress in Euro 2020.

David Regan, the city’s director of public health, says the majority of new cases were among a working age population enjoying the unlocking of restrictions on hospitality, as well as England’s progress in Euro 2020.

“Everyone wants to enjoy England’s success, myself included, but the basic messages still apply,” he told the council’s health and wellbeing board.

“When we’re close to each other indoors without face masks on, the risk of transmission is significant so that may explain part of the surge in other parts of the country.”

'We've got the biggest challenge outside of London'

Currently 47 per cent of people in the 18-29 age group have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine. Around 16 per cent have had a second dose.

New advertising campaigns are now being developed to ‘get as many jabs in the arms’ of young people as possible.

Mr Regan said: “We’ve got the biggest challenge of anywhere probably outside of London which has a similar young demographic.

The new engagement strategy will also encourage the use of Manchester’s vaccination centres at Moss Side and Belle Vue, which are being supported by military personnel, as well as walk-in opportunities at pharmacies and other pop-up clinics.

While military support will end on July 18 – the day before Covid restrictions are lifted across the country – Mr Regan said there will be enough volunteers to keep the facilities running throughout the summer.

There are also plans to relocate the Enterprise, the portable testing NHS unit at Belle Vue which has been dubbed ‘the spaceship’, to other parts of the city to reach as many people as possible.

But Mr Regan said the mass vaccination centre at the Etihad ‘has been quiet’, and it is understood that more people have opted to get vaccinated at more local sites.

He added: “We need everyone to get behind our push, July 19 isn’t an end date for us, in fact we’re just at the first stage because of the numbers.

“This is the hardest part of this programme, this final push nationally and locally.”

As of July 7 a total of 337,186 people in Manchester have had a first dose of a Covid vaccine, with 221,087 of those also receiving a second dose.

Almost three quarters of people aged over 65 eligible for a jab – including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid – are now fully vaccinated.