More than half of over-70s have had second Covid vaccine amid ‘unheard of’ uptake levels

More than half of people over 70 in Greater Manchester have had their second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine amid ‘unheard of’ levels of uptake.

The number of first jabs handed out across the city-region is nearing 1.3 million as of April 14, with a further 351,236 people receiving their second dose.

Almost all people aged 70 and over – 94 per cent – have had their first jab, while 85 per cent of people aged 50 to 69 have been given theirs.

A quarter of 18 to 49 year olds have had their first jabs, meaning 52 per cent of the overall population in Greater Manchester have had their first vaccination.

Manchester council leader Sir Richard Leese, who chairs the regional health and social care partnership, said: “In the over-70s there’s been a really good performance, and 94 per cent is unheard of for vaccination programmes.

“We’ve certainly never got anywhere near that with flu vaccines, similarly for the 85 per cent for 50 to 69 year olds.”

Sir Richard said the 26 per cent uptake in the 18-49 group was expected as mass vaccination has only recently opened up to accommodate those at the top of the age range.

Covid infection rates have continued to fall across Greater Manchesters with 45.3 cases per 100,000 people as of April 10, which is still higher than the English average of 27.6.

The number of cases amongst over-60s is still high in Manchester and Rochdale, with both boroughs reporting infection rates of over 50 per 100,000 alongside Oldham.

Meanwhile, the percentage of care home residents with Covid-19 or who are showing symptoms have fallen to 0.6m, with some boroughs reporting no cases at all.

Sir Richard said: “All the good progress we’ve made, and the progress that has allowed us to reopen some of the normal world, can be easily lost.

“We’ve seen what’s been said in national news about the risk of other outbreaks and new variants.

“It’s really important that people get their second vaccination because not only does it help keep them safe, but it reduces transmission in total, and that means it reduces risk of further outbreaks and those variants that are potentially going to be vaccine resistant.”

Weekly admissions to hospitals for Covid-19 rose slightly in the week to April 13, while the number of people in intensive care and general hospital beds continues to fall.

While hospital bed occupancy rates are currently high at 85 per cent, Sir Richard said just four per cent of beds are occupied by Covid patients.

But the council leader again warned that it would still take hospitals up to three years to clear a ‘massive’ backlog of non-urgent operations that have built up since the first lockdown.

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