COVID Jab Levels Among Inverclyde Teenagers Much Higher Than Scottish AverageUPTAKE of the covid vaccine among 16 and 17-year-olds has been significantly higher in Inverclyde than across Scotland.
Local councillors have been given an update on the vaccination programme in the district so far, as well as details of the “all-time high” number of cases.
Officials state: “Vaccinations have continued moving on to the 16 to 17 age group. Uptake does seem to decline as we go down the age groups but, at the time of writing, uptake in this age group was better in Inverclyde than in Scotland as a whole.”
As of 8 September, 68.3 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds had received a first dose, nearly eight per cent more than the national figure of 60.6 per cent.
The report adds that 86.4 per cent of over 18s in Inverclyde had received two doses of covid vaccine.
This included well over half of 18 to 29-year-olds, with 78.8 per cent of that age group having received one dose and 57.7 per cent having received both doses, versus figures for Scotland of 75.1 per cent and 55.7 per cent.
Officials continue: “Since the last update…in August, case numbers in Inverclyde, together with the rest of Scotland, have continued to grow, reaching a new all-time high at the end of August of over 1,200 cases per 100,000 [of population] per week.
“At the time of writing this report, case numbers were standing at 1,095 cases per 100,000 [of population] per week.
“The increases appear to have been driven by a combination of increased social mixing…combined with increased mixing brought about by the return of schools.
“Significant numbers of cases are occurring amongst our young people and this is also leading to both teaching and support staff having to self-isolate.”
