Peterborough Director of Public Health warns you are ‘eight times more likely to end up in hospital with COVID illness if you are unvaccinated’ as 60,000 city residents still not had one jab

While Peterborough still has the highest COVID case rate in England - and second highest in the UK - , it also has one of the lowest vaccination rates - and the city’s Director of Public Health, Jyoti Atri has warned residents there is a greater chance of needing hospital treatment if you catch COVID and are unvaccinated.

This week the Peterborough Telegraph revealed two thirds of COVID patients at Peterborough City Hospital in December were unvaccinated.

Ms Atri said; “We know that Omicron symptoms are milder than other variants of the disease, for people who have been vaccinated, but high case rates lead to high numbers of people self-isolating which impacts public services – the running of schools, care for vulnerable children or older people, and refuse collections, for example. Other routine appointments with the NHS might need to be cancelled, such as health checks and planned operations.

“You are eight times more likely to end up in hospital with a Covid-related illness if you’re unvaccinated. So please be #CovidCautious and get your Covid and booster jabs when offered and wear a face covering in crowded indoor spaces, keep your distance, wash hands and meet in well ventilated spaces.”

So far 147,225 people - or 70.5 per cent of the population in Peterborough - have had one dose - meaning 61,467 people have not had their first dose. A total of 64.2 per cent have had at least two doses, and 46.5 per cent have had a third dose.

Across the UK, 90.9 per cent have had at least one dose, 84.0 per cent have had at least two doses, and 64.5 per cent have had a third or booster dose.

Walk in vaccination sessions are running in Peterborough for all eligible residents. For more information visit https://www.thevaccinators.co.uk/

Statistics are available at https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

MORE: Hospital plea for Peterborough residents to get COVID jab as two in three COVID patients at City Hospital are unvaccinated

MORE: Highest rates of COVID transmission in Peterborough pre-school and primary school children as city has highest rate in England