Nearly 170 neighbourhoods across England have still not fully vaccinated two-thirds of over-50s against Covid, MailOnline can reveal.
Scientists warned our analysis — based on official statistics of the country’s 7,000 districts — shows there are huge pockets of the population still vulnerable to the virus.
Ministers aimed to give all in the age group two jabs in order to protect them from the rampant spread of the Delta variant ahead of restrictions being eased back on July 19 ‘Freedom Day’.
But NHS England figures, which go up until August 1, show 29 neighbourhoods across the nation have not yet reached more than 60 per cent of people aged 50 and over.
Some 169 have only reached two thirds of the most vulnerable age groups, who were prioritised for the vaccine and have been eligible since March 17.
In theory, all could have been fully-jabbed now, given the 12-week spacing gap between doses, which was later shortened to eight weeks to help combat the rise of the now dominant mutant strain.
Overall, 2.5million over-50s (11 per cent) have not yet got their second jab and 2million haven’t had their first (nine per cent).
Harehills South in Leeds has reached the fewest over-50s, with just 813 of the 1,562 living in the area receiving their second dose — 52 per cent of the population.
For comparison, 22 areas have double-jabbed more than 96 per cent of their over-50s, with Morpeth South and West in Northumberland leading the way (96.6 per cent).
Experts warned vulnerable people who have not yet been vaccinated are ‘just as much risk of severe disease and death as at any time during the pandemic’. Even though one jab offers some protection against severe illness, two doses are much stronger.
Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline NHS hospitals in the areas lagging behind could still face huge pressures this winter. Most experts believe there will be another wave of Covid in the colder months.
Nearly 30 areas in England have not fully vaccinated their over-50 populations against Covid, official statistics have revealed as experts warn there are huge pockets of the population still vulnerable to the virus. Graph shows
Harehills South in Leeds has reached the fewest over-50s, with just 813 of the 1,562 living in the area receiving their second dose — 52 per cent of the population. Map shows: The proportion of adults who have had both Covid vaccine doses
Overall, 2.5million over-50s (11 per cent) have not yet got their second jab and 2million haven’t had their first (nine per cent)
Top 10 areas for fully vaccinated over-50s
Area
Double-dose coverage
Morpeth South & West, Leeds
96.6 per cent
Eccleston, Lancashire
Nailsea East, Somerset
Longlevens, Gloucester
Garforth East, Yorkshire
96.5 per cent
96.4 per cent
96.3 per cent
96.3 per cent
Burton Stretton, Staffordshire
6.3 per cent
Hucclecote, Gloucestershire
96.2 per cent
Prestbury & Racecourse, Cheltenham
96.2 per cent
Newby & Scalby, Scarborough
96.2 per cent
Easingwold & Stillington, York
96.2 per cent
Advertisement Bottom 10 areas for fully vaccinated over-50s
Area
Double-dose coverage
Harehills South, Leeds
Hans Town, London
Moss Side West, Manchester
52.0 per cent
54.7 per cent
55.3 per cent
Bayswater East, London
Queensway, London
Kensington Gardens, London
55.4 per cent
55.7 per cent
56.7 per cent
Rusholme West & Moss Side East, Manchester
56.9 per cent
Waterloo Road, London
North Central & Dartmouth Circus
57.2 per cent
57.4 per cent
Winson Green & Gib Heath, Birmingham
57.5 per cent
Advertisement Britain’s daily Covid cases fall by just 3% in a week as curve begins to flatten out
Britain’s daily Covid cases have begun to flatten out amid an uptick in infections among older teenagers and adults in their early twenties, according to official figures.
Department of Health data showed another 30,215 positive tests were registered today, up just 3 per cent from 31,117 on last Thursday.
And the seven-day average for infections — which paints a clearer picture over the actual trend — plateaued for the fourth day in a row at around 26,000, after tumbling for almost a fortnight.
MailOnline analysis suggested the worrying trend may be down to cases rising among 15 to 24-year-olds for the first time in a month, which leading scientists claimed was likely sparked by ‘Freedom Day’ and the reopening of nightclubs.
But they did not rule out lower vaccination rates in the age groups and colder weather towards the end of the month also being behind the increase.
Daily Covid hospitalisations continued to fall today after dropping by a fifth in a week (down 20 per cent) to 727 admissions on the first day of August, the latest date available. Another 86 deaths were also recorded, similar to the 85 announced at the same time last week.
Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, warned today there was a risk infections in younger age groups could yet spill over into older age groups, with previous waves beginning in the young before rapidly picking up the pace among older, more vulnerable people.
He called on the over-50s to make sure they get their booster jabs when they are dished out, to ensure they have the best protection possible.
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Professor Hunter said: ‘The important message is that you do not get herd immunity as the virus can still spread even amongst fully vaccinated individuals.
‘So anyone who has not been vaccinated will get infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus at some point and given that society is now opening up and that we now have the very infectious Delta variant that won’t be long.
‘If you have not been vaccinated and have not yet had a natural infection, then you at just as much risk of severe disease and death as at any time during the pandemic.
‘So as we move towards winter those areas with larger proportion of their vulnerable population unimmunised will see increased pressure on their health service.
‘The one caveat is that in areas that have been the focus for high transmission so far it may be that many of these people may have already had the infection and if so are unlikely to get it as bad this time round.’
The figures also suggest around three in 10 young adults in England have still not had a first dose of the vaccine, despite renewed appeals from politicians and a host of pop-up vaccination centres across the country.
Some 69.3per cent of people aged 18 to 29 received a first dose of vaccine up to August 1, according to estimates from NHS England.
This is only a small improvement on the previous week’s figure and is the equivalent of additional 107,000 first jabs for adults under 30. About 2.6million 18 to 29-year-olds remain unvaccinated.
A breakdown of this age group by gender shows vaccine take-up continues to be lower among men than women. An estimated 73.9 per cent of women aged 25 to 29 have had a first dose, compared with 67.3 per cent of men.
Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 71.3 per cent of women are estimated to have received one dose, but only 63.8 per cent of men.
All adults in England have been able to book a first dose of vaccine since June 17.
The Government has urged young adults to come forward for a first jab, while announcing plans for a Covid vaccine passport that would make full vaccination a requirement for entry to nightclubs and other venues from the end of September.
Several pop-up vaccine centres opened across England last weekend, including Circus Extreme in Halifax in West Yorkshire, Burnley FC’s Turf Moor ground, Goodwood Racecourse near Chichester, and the Summer of Love Festival in west London’s Holland Park.
A billboard and social media campaign will encourage people under-30 to have a jab or miss out on fun, with adverts running on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
Food delivery and taxi-hailing companies have also been enlisted to offer discounted rides and meals for customers who have received a jab.
Uber, Bolt and Deliveroo are among the brands who will be offering incentives to encourage younger people to get vaccinated.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said taxi app firm Uber will be sending reminders to all users in August encouraging them to get jabbed.
The company will offer discounted Uber rides and meals on its Uber Eats platform for young adults who receive a vaccine.
Bolt, another ride-hailing app, will offer ‘free ride credit’ to vaccination centres, while Deliveroo will give vouchers to young people who get jabbed.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people to ‘take advantage of the discounts’, adding: ‘The lifesaving vaccines not only protect you, your loved ones and your community, but they are helping to bring us back together by allowing you to get back to doing the things you’ve missed.’
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said there was ‘strong enthusiasm’ among young people so far to get vaccinated, and urged: ‘Please get your jabs as soon as you can and grab a bargain.’
Anti-vaxxer club boss, 56, dies of Covid after mocking people for getting ‘experimental’ vaccine and warning of ‘big pharma’ conspiracy in hundreds of Facebook messages 
David Parker (pictured above), 56, contracted the virus and died at Darlington Memorial Hospital in County Durham on Monday, despite having no underlying health conditions
An anti-vaxxer nightclub boss has died of Covid-19 after mocking people for getting the ‘experimental’ vaccine and warning of a ‘big pharma’ conspiracy in hundreds of Facebook messages.
David Parker, 56, passed away at Darlington Memorial Hospital in County Durham on Monday despite having no underlying health conditions.
He had contracted the virus just weeks after condemning the vaccine and pharmaceutical companies in social media posts.
The family of Mr Parker, who spent a decade working as the manager of Club Louis in North Yorkshire, are said to now be urging everyone to get the jab.
It follows John Eyers, a fit and healthy 42-year-old father with a love of rock climbing and bodybuilding, dying of Covid-19 last week after refusing the vaccine.
Cambridge University graduate Leslie Lawrenson, 58, also passed away at his home in Bournemouth on July 2, just nine days after releasing footage to Facebook explaining why Covid was ‘nothing to be afraid of’.
A further 86 deaths were recorded yesterday, similar to the 85 announced at the same time last week, bringing the UK total to 130,086.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have now been 155,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Meanwhile, the Government is continuing its battle to encourage take-up of the jab among young adults after it was extended to all over-18s in mid-June. Ministers are worried that three million under-30s are yet to have one.
Mr Parker, above, spent a decade working as the manager of Club Louis in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. The nightclub paid tribute to him online, saying he will be ‘sorely missed’
His close friend Steve Wignall, 59, told The Sun: ‘His family are devastated, they were very close and loved each other dearly.
‘But despite their terrible loss they would like it to be known that they’re encouraging everyone to please get vaccinated because they don’t want others to suffer as they are now.’
In one post on Facebook, Mr Parker shared an image of an anti-lockdown protest in London, writing ‘brilliant’ with a clapping hands emoji.
Other posts included a meme deriding people who post pictures of their vaccine card, and an image of a man wearing a tin foil hat with text written across it reading: ‘When you realise your tin foil hat has less aluminium than a vaccine’.
Mr Parker once wrote: ‘I feel the need to post information on here for people that aren’t receiving another side to the story due to media not being impartial.
‘When research is done into who finances the media it leads to the pharmaceutical companies. Who knows who is right or wrong. If I’m wrong I’ll hold my hand up but I will not stay silent.’
He also shared a link to a Facebook group called ‘The Unvaccinated Arms’, which tells its 22,220 members not to use the words ‘Covid’ or ‘vaccine’ due to ‘restrictions and posts being suppressed’ by the social media platform.
It is unclear whether Mr Parker was a member of the group.
Following his death, relatives have commented on some of the posts, with one person writing: ‘So sad to see this. RIP Uncle David, it could have saved you!’
Mr Wignall, who works as the director at Club Louis, fell ill with Covid on the same day as his colleague. He was fully vaccinated while Mr Parker had not received one dose of the vaccine.
He said: ‘He [Mr Parker] didn’t believe in it and he didn’t want it, it was out of distrust of the elite, frankly, and we couldn’t change his mind.’
Mr Parker had contracted the virus just weeks after condemning the vaccine and pharmaceutical companies (post pictured above) in social media messages
In a statement posted to social media, Club Louis said: ‘It is with enormous regret that we have to announce the passing of our manager, David Parker.
‘He was being treated for the effects of Covid but lost his struggle. On behalf of the whole Louis Family, we offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends, he will be sorely missed.
‘A pragmatic man, David would want the show to go on, so we remain open with the family’s agreement. RIP David, Mr LOUIS.’
Fellow customers and employees paid tribute to the beloved bar manager, with one commenting: ‘I just want to say thank you for giving me and my mates the best time.
‘Rest in peace David. Truly saddened and sending love to your family and friends.’
Another wrote: ‘That’s such sad news sending all my love to everyone. Worked with Dave when I worked at Louis bar and he was by far the best manager to work with.’
And a third added: ‘This is so heartbreaking. Dave was such a lovely person, and a joy to work for. Louis will never be the same without him. He’ll be missed by so many people.’
It comes after solicitor Mr Lawrenson died of Covid on July 2, having previously refused his vaccine because he believed he ‘did not need it’ and instead placed his faith in his immune system.
Wanting to record ‘the realities’ of having the virus for ‘99,9% of us’, anti-vaxxer Leslie took to social media to share two vlog posts earlier this summer.
With intermittent coughing breaking up his monologue, he explained his symptoms and described them as ‘no worse than a cold’.
He later criticised the Government’s approach to Covid-19 restrictions, saying ‘these are things we have to suffer, it’s part of living’, before urging viewers to ‘trust’ their immune systems over vaccines.
He passed away just nine days after recording his initial video.
On the same day Leslie died, his partner Amanda Mitchell, 56, who has diabetes and was also suffering with Covid, was admitted to hospital with pneumonia – she was also unvaccinated.
Cambridge University graduate Leslie Lawrenson (pictured above), 58, passed away at his home in Bournemouth on July 2, just nine days after releasing footage to Facebook explaining why Covid was ‘nothing to be afraid of’
And Mr Eyers, a construction expert from Southport, Merseyside, had been climbing the Welsh mountains and wild camping one month before his death last week, which came exactly four weeks after he tested positive.
His twin sister Jenny McCann said he was the ‘fittest, healthiest person I know’ and had thought he would only have a ‘mild illness’ if he contracted the virus.
She added that he had a ‘belief in his own immortality’. Mrs McCann said that Mr Eyers had ‘no underlying health conditions’ but did also state that he had asthma.
Before going onto a ventilator in hospital, Mr Eyers told his consultant that he wished he had been vaccinated – and died in intensive care after suffering from an infection and organ failure, leaving behind a daughter aged 19.
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