Britain may be nearing maximum uptake for the Covid vaccine, top scientists fear as rates continue to slump — despite there being millions of young adults who are yet to take up the offer.
Just 100,000 first doses are currently being dished out every day, half the rate seen a fortnight ago when the drive was up and running for all over-18s.
No10's advisers believe Britain is now 'close to maximum take-up', The Times reports. Around 2million 18-24 year olds are still unvaccinated.
Millions of young people are reluctant to get vaccinated against coronavirus, despite ministers pledging to scrap self-isolation rules for double-jabbed Brits and let them go on summer holidays to Greece, Spain and Italy.
And ministers also believe those jab requirements will boost uptake, it was claimed today.
Main reasons for younger people not wanting to get a vaccine revolve around Covid posing a much smaller threat to them, and misinformation circulating online.
One virologist called on ministers to increase the 'messaging around the benefits of vaccination'.
Professor Jonathan Ball, of Nottingham University, told warned about the risk of 'very debilitating long Covid' in younger adults.
This graph shows the percentage of Britons in each age group who have received a first dose (green bar) and second dose (orange bar). Uptake is higher in older groups, who were invited for jabs earlier and are more at risk from the virus
Daily first doses (green bars) have tumbled by 100,000 over the last two weeks
Young people are less likely to get the Covid jab because they do not see themselves as at risk from the virus, and due to misinformation online. Pictured: Young Brit vaccinated in Doncaster
Observers first noticed the roll-out was slowing down last month, which raised fears that the slump could scupper Freedom Day plans.
The pace dropped because of the decision by Government advisers to recommend alternatives to the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab for the under-40s and limited supply of the two alternatives – Pfizer and Moderna.
But now the speed of the inoculation drive may be nearing an inevitable slow down, with all over-18s having now been eligible for a jab since mid-June.
