More than one in 20 West Lothian adults still unvaccinated

Public Health Scotland data shows 134,801 people aged 18 and over in West Lothian had received a first dose of the vaccine by September 12.

But this means that 9,530 remain unvaccinated – around 6.6 per cent of all adults in the area, based on mid-2020 population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

Those aged 18-29 have the highest refusal rates in the area, with 17.8 per cent yet to get a jab, followed by the 30-39 age bracket (14.4 per cent). A higher proportion of children aged 16 and 17 are unvaccinated (29.6 per cent), but they were offered the jab much later than others.

At the other end of the scale, all of those aged 80 and over have received their first vaccine.

Around 10.8 per cent of the UK population aged 16 and above have not taken up the offer of a Covid-19 vaccine.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed booster shots will be offered from this week to maintain protection levels as the country enters the autumn. It will be available for people aged 50 and over, care home residents, health and social care workers, 16 to 49 year-olds with underlying health conditions, adult carers, and adult household contacts of immuno-suppressed individuals.

Meanwhile, estimates from the ONS show there are around 9,329 12-15 year-olds in West Lothian who will be offered their first jab.