Queen's Park, Cauldwell, Castle and Kingsway lagging behind as nearly two-thirds of people in Bedford fully vaccinated

Nearly two-thirds of people in Bedford have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, figures reveal.

NHS data shows 84,753 people had received both jabs by July 4 – 62 per cent of those aged 16 and over, based on latest population estimates for mid-2020 from the Office for National Statistics.

Of those to have received both jabs, 82,485 were aged 25 and over – 68 per cent of the age group.

It means 2,268 people aged between 16 to 25 have received both doses.

Meanwhile, 119,353 people in Bedford have received at least one dose of a vaccine – 87 per cent of those aged 16 and over.

The NHS vaccine data also reveals variation in coverage for residents who are fully vaccinated between different areas across Bedford.

These figures are based on mid-2019 estimates – the latest at neighbourhood level.

Areas with the highest coverage:

1) Riseley & Sharnbrook, with 76.7 per cent of people aged 16 and over fully vaccinated.

2) Wootton & Stewartby, 74.4 per cent

3) Putnoe, 73.7 per cent

Areas with the lowest coverage:

1) Queens Park, 42.1 per cent

2) Cauldwell, 45.5 per cent

3) Castle & Kingsway, 49.5 per cent

Across England, 28.2 million people had received a second dose of the jab by July 4 – 62 per cent of the population aged over 16 and over.

That includes 27.3 million people aged 25 and over – 69 per cent of the age group.

In total, 37.8 million people had received at least one dose of a vaccine by the same date, covering 83 per cent of people over 16.

Despite the success of the rollout, some staff at care homes in Bedford have not been fully vaccinated.

The figures show 1,444 out of 1,883 eligible staff, including agency workers, at older adult care homes had received two doses of a vaccine by July 4 – meaning 23 per cent have not been fully vaccinated.

The Government plans to make the jab mandatory for staff over concerns for residents.