MORE than half of people in Colchester have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine - but almost a quarter of the county’s care home staff are yet to have theirs.

NHS data shows 90,830 people from the area had received a jab by April 11 - 57 per cent of those aged 16 and above.

Of those vaccinated, 65,774 were aged 50 and over – 97 per cent of the age group.

  • The area with the highest coverage was West Mersea - with 74 per cent of people aged 16 and above given their first dose.
  • Greenstead had the lowest coverage, at 31.9 per cent.

Despite more than 50 per cent of the area’s residents being vaccinated, NHS data shows 23 per cent of Essex’s care home workers are yet to have their first dose.

Under plans by the Government, care home staff will be required have their vaccinations under law.

A five-week consultation on mandatory jabs has been launched following concerns about whether enough carers have been vaccinated to stop the virus spreading to vulnerable residents.

More than 60 per cent of Gazette readers have backed the plans to make the jabs a legal requirement for care home staff in an online poll.

However, 38 per cent of readers did not agree with the proposal.

Shelley Anderton, a nurse from Colchester, said: “ I totally understand the reasons behind this, I am also a nurse and pro-vaccines, but no I do not agree.

“Where would this stop?”

Across Essex 9,555 out of 12,406 eligible staff, including agency workers, at older adult care homes had received a first dose by April 11, according to latest NHS figures.

But, Tall Trees Care Home, in Colchester, which is run by Care UK, said nearly 90 per cent of its staff have been vaccinated.

A statement from Care UK said: “Around 86 per cent of our colleagues have now been vaccinated and this number is growing every day as access to the vaccine improves.

“We have recently implemented a new recruitment policy to ensure all new joiners are vaccinated before they start work – an approach which has been welcomed by those who are keen to build a career with us.”

“Our number one priority remains the safety and wellbeing of everyone living and working in our care homes.”