Third of outer east London care staff refusing Covid vaccine

Redbridge, where just 57 per cent of eligible staff had received a vaccine as of March 14, has the fifth lowest vaccine uptake among this group in the country.

In care homes for younger adults, such as those with disabilities, Waltham Forest has the second lowest percentage of eligible staff who have received the Covid vaccine.

Just 48 per cent of eligible staff in these care homes across Waltham Forest have received a jab, only a smidgen higher than the country’s lowest uptake of 47.9 per cent in Camden.

Read more: Councillors 'fighting' NHS over Covid vaccine site in Leyton

The NHS figures show that in Havering, east London’s outermost borough and one of the worst hit by the pandemic, only around half of staff in care homes for younger adults had the vaccine.

Vaccinations for staff in elderly care homes began earlier than in homes for younger people, which is reflected in a national trend of higher vaccine acceptance in these settings.

Overall uptake among health and social care staff has increased slightly over the past week, with 96.5 per cent of frontline NHS staff now having accepted a jab.

Vaccination centres have begun inviting those aged over 50 for their jabs but will stop booking new appointments for first doses from March 29 until the end of April.

This is because of a “major supply shortage” expected from this date, although the Government still insists it will have all adults vaccinated by the end of July, as reported in the Guardian.

For more breaking news, local headlines and features, ‘like’ our Facebook page.

We also have a Twitter account: @ELondonGuardian

Follow us to keep up-to-date with news in Waltham Forest and Redbridge.