Young people 'can't be bothered' to get Covid jab, says vaccinator

23 July 2021, 11:03

Caller: Young people 'can't be bothered' to get the Covid jab

By Tim Dodd

This vaccine volunteer tells Nick Ferrari that 'I'd have to change busses' has been amongst the excuses from young people who are too 'lazy' to get their Covid jabs.

It comes as NHS England figures show one-third of 18-to-29-year-olds have still not had their first Covid jab.

John in Manchester, who works in a vaccination centre, told Nick Ferrari: "How many young people are turning up where you are?"

"Not a great deal. I was picking up on the point that the Prof said before the break about young people not being lazy - I think I'd have to beg to differ.

"We sent out an invitation to 10,000 youngsters between 18 and 30. We geared up the whole vaccination centre, doctors and nurses gave up their weekends. You can imagine the whole logistical exercise involved.

"Fewer than 200 took up the opportunity, of which, less than 100 turned up. It's incredible."

Read more: Eight week gap between Pfizer jabs is 'sweet spot' - study

John then said they rang up a few of the people invited to see why they hadn't responded:

"The range of answers was incredible.

"I don't know where the centre is, I haven't got the bus there, I'd have to change busses, I have to walk the dog, I have to water the plants, I've probably had Covid already.

"It's astonishing - they are lazy."

Professor's message for vaccine hesitant young people

Nick asked how this compared to the uptake for older age groups.

Read more: Record number of alerts sent to NHS Covid app users

John said: "It rose as the weeks went by, and the percentage of vaccination actually exceeded expectation by the time you got to the top of the age range. The youngsters, we're just not getting through to them."

Nick then gave his take on John's call: "I wonder how much this is because young people's main source of news is social media. And we all know the perils of social media."

Read more: Thousands of critical workers freed from 'pingdemic' isolation

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