ONE out of every 100 people over 50 in Chelmsford are yet to receive a first vaccination dose against Covid-19 – despite being invited to book a jab more than two months ago.

The NHS has hailed reaching the "home straight" of the vaccination rollout with people aged 25 and over now being invited to come forward from yesterday, on what marks six months since the first Covid jab was administered in the UK.

Three-quarters of the adult population across England have had their first dose, while more than half are fully vaccinated.

But figures suggest there is still hesitancy amongst over 50s in some areas, particularly in London and the major cities, which could slow the race against the virus as the dominant "Indian variant", now known as the Delta variant, claims more cases.

People aged 50 and over have been invited to book their first jab through the NHS since March 17.

But NHS England data shows in Chelmsford, 872 people aged 50 and over had still to receive a first vaccination dose as of May 30 – 1 per cent of the age group based on latest population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

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The figure was highest in the neighbourhood of Great Baddow South and West where 5.2 per cent of over 50s had not received a Covid jab at this point.

Across England, 4 per cent of people aged 50 and over – 800,600 adults – had not been vaccinated as of May 30.

Regionally, London had the lowest uptake with 11 per cent of people aged 50 and over unvaccinated, while the South West had the highest, with just 2 per cent unvaccinated.

In the East of England, 3 per cent of people aged 50 and over were unvaccinated.

Last month, the NHS released separate data on ethnicity showing vaccine uptake across England among black Caribbean people was the lowest, with 37 per cent of those aged 50 and over unvaccinated by May 7.

The group with the highest uptake was white British, with 5 per cent unvaccinated.

The data also showed 9 per cent of people aged 50 and over in the most deprived areas were unvaccinated, compared to 2 per cent in the most affluent.