The Mayor of Camden Sabrina Francis had her jab in Gospel Oak

CAMDEN has one of the slowest rates of Covid vaccination rates in the country, it was claimed this week, as the government said more time was needed to win a race between the vaccines and the virus.

Even before the coronavirus jabs became available, public health teams had been warned about stubbornly low take-ups of childhood immunisations in Camden over the past three years.

Now a similar pattern may be developing with Covid as figures last week ranked the borough third last for vaccines.

One analysis suggested that only 73 per cent of over-65s living in Camden had received a first dose – compared with a national average of 98 per cent. Camden says its figures show a higher percentage has been reached this week and the council’s leadership says it is throwing everything it can at encouraging people to have the injection.

But Cllr Oliver Cooper, the leader of the Conservative group in Camden, said: “Reopening has been delayed this week because of pockets in places like Camden of people being unprotected. This has real consequences for lives and livelihoods.

“It needs to be the council’s priority but instead it’s Camden’s secret shame. Camden must not resort to its old habits of patting itself on the back when a job is badly done.”

CAMDEN’S “vaccine bus” is continuing to tour the borough offering eligible people who have not yet booked an appointment the chance to get a jab. On Friday, it stopped in Swiss Cottage and hit its 1,000 vaccination milestone. The bus service is on top of 15 vaccination sites around Camden and operates three days a week.

He added: “For years Camden has had the lowest take-up of childhood and other routine vaccinations so this shouldn’t have wrong-footed our council’s leadership.”

Labour council chiefs are understood to be wary of getting into a political fight over vaccines, but believe the delays to the removal of restrictions this week had more to do with a government’s decision not to put travel from India on the red list before the spread of the Delta variant of Covid.

They are also treading softly around the issue because they do not want to upset an army of volunteers working “flat out” on the vaccine programme.

Town Hall leader Cllr Georgia Gould said: “The borough’s volunteer groups, charities, faith leaders, health and care workers, teachers and many more have come together to increase vaccine confidence in our community and to encourage people to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

“Thanks to this incredible community effort, a total of 183,431 vaccine doses have been given in Camden, including first and second doses.

“However, coronavirus cases are rising rapidly so we’re urging everyone aged 21 and over to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help get cases under control and save lives. Even if you think you’ll be fine if you get coronavirus, you could pass it onto someone who could get seriously ill but getting the vaccine will prevent this happening.”

Dr Alex Warner, the clinical lead for the Covid Vaccination Programme for Camden Health Partners and GP Partner at Caversham Group Practice, said: “With more vaccines now available, we are now making a significant increase to our vaccination clinic capacity at our GP run sites in Camden.

“This will mean we’ll have more appointments available for those in the older age groups who we are continuing to invite, along with Camden’s younger adults who are now eligible.

“The vaccines are safe and effective and it’s been really encouraging to see so many come to get their vaccinations when it’s been their turn. We also recognise that there are people who haven’t been sure, have wanted more time to think and to ask questions.

“We’ve been working with our public health and council colleagues on how best to reach these people.”