Recent data has shown that young people say they are less likely to accept the Covid-19 vaccination if it is offered to them.
The Office for National Statistics revealed that women aged between 18 and 29 were found to be the least likely to get the injection, with only 70% saying they would.
Men in the same age group were only slightly more likely with 75% saying they would accept the vaccine.
Mollie Knott, a worker for Nottingham-based complex care agency NutureCare, has committed to getting the vaccine. She said: “I work with palliative children, I’m going to their homes, I’m there for 12 hours a day. They’re really vulnerable and I could bring them anything, whether it’s Covid or anything, I could bring that into their home.
“So I’m going to get the vaccine, not that I wouldn’t have gotten it anyway, because it just prevents one extra thing I could bring into their home.”
The 21-year-old, who has to wear specialised PPE when caring for her end-of-life patients, said she was shocked that young people were least likely to accept a vaccine.
She added: “I haven’t really seen too many young people say don’t get it, but then again I haven’t looked for that side of the story.”
Matthew Lee, a 19-year old student at Nottingham Trent University, said that even though he would accept the vaccine, he understands why younger people would be more hesitant.
He said: “There’s no clear evidence, either way, to determine whether it can impact someone’s chances of fertility in the future, and so I think that’s an understandable concern.
“I think people accept that the vaccines are safe, in combating coronavirus, but you can’t speed up science and so there’s no way of us knowing what the potential long term side effects may be. If data was to come out that proves that there is no effect on fertility, then I think that would certainly quash some young peoples’ fears.”
By Robbie Nichols
