Nine in ten islanders aged over 65 have had first covid jab

Friday 26 February 2021

91% of islanders aged over 65 and a quarter of those aged 50 to 64 have now had their first covid jab, putting the island on a par with the UK when it comes to total update.

Jersey has given out 27.19 doses per 100 people, slightly ahead of the UK, which has administered 27.03 doses per 100.

Locally, 98% of those aged over 80 have received their first dose, 88% aged 65 to 79, 25% aged 50-64 and 8% aged 17 to 49. 

Although just 12% of those over 80 have received their second dose, that number is expected to increase significantly from next week, which marks 10 weeks since the beginning of the year, when the vaccination programme ramped up.

The programme is based around islanders getting their second jab within 10 to 12 weeks of their first. 

Pictured: Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ivan Muscat said hospital admission rates have "plummeted."

Releasing its weekly statistics yesterday, the Government has also said it intended to start collecting ethnicity data to make sure that minority communities in the island were getting their jab.

This follows studies in the UK suggesting that uptake among minorities was not as high as longer established communities. 

The Government intends to increase its communication activities to target the island’s Portuguese, Polish and other communities. 

It also said that admission rates at the hospital had plummeted, partly due to the “positive contribution” of the vaccination programme.

Dr Ivan Muscat, Deputy Medical Officer of Health, explained: “Two things have contributed to a reduction in disease rates: the first is non-pharmaceutical interventions [such as health education, nutrition and exercise programmes] and the second is vaccination. The hospital is certainly quieter now.”

A recent study in Scotland showed that one dose of vaccine against covid-19 had cut hospital admissions there by more than 85% - the first data to be published on the impact of the UK programme.

By the fourth week after receiving the initial dose, the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines had reduced the risk of hospitalisation from covid-19 by up to 85% and 94% respectively, according to a study by Scottish universities and Public Health Scotland.

Although Jersey has not carried out a similar study, Dr Muscat said that it was clear that the vaccination was helping to cut hospital admissions.

As of 21 February, 29,312 doses of the vaccine have been administered and 26,025 Islanders have received their first dose. 79% of clinically high risk Islanders aged 16 to 69 have received their first dose of the vaccine.

Vaccination Programme Head, Becky Sherrington, said: “It’s fantastic to see that 91% of Islanders above 65 are now protected. This is a huge step forward and a great achievement which has ensured that Islanders in our first priority phase now have protection."

Collated statistics show that a total of 29% of all adults (16+) have now received the first dose of vaccine.