Disparities in children’s Covid vaccination rates map England’s social divides

Amongst 12- to 15-year-olds, London had the lowest rates of vaccination, followed by the north-west. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Covid vaccination rates show wide gaps in coverage between children of different ethnic backgrounds, social class and regions of England, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics.

While the national average shows that just 52.5% of children aged between 12 and 15 received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, rates among black children and those of Gypsy or Roma heritage are still far below the national average.