“To be honest, even if someone gave me a million pounds in cash to take the vaccine, I’m not going to take it.”
19-year-old Romeo is one of hundreds of youngsters in Harehills South who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Despite Public Health England analysis revealing that 60,000 deaths have been prevented by the country’s vaccine rollout so far, concerns remain among NHS chiefs about the uptake among younger generations.
READ MORE: Full list of firms joining Covid jab incentives and discounts plan
Across England, roughly two-thirds of 18 to 30-year-olds have their first jab.
However, Harehills South is the most vaccine-sceptic suburb in Yorkshire. Just 26 per cent of 18 to 30-year-olds here had their first dose of the vaccine by July 25.
“Most of my friends are not getting it,” adds Romeo.
“I know a couple of people that have got the vaccine, but most of my friends haven’t.
“To me, it’s just people overreacting to it [Covid-19]. I’ve had this virus twice, but it was just a normal cough and flu.”
Even after it is pointed out to Romeo that more than 130,000 people in the UK have died with coronavirus since the outbreak of the pandemic, he does not change his tune.
“If your body can take it, there’s nothing to worry about.,” he says.
“I get that it does damage to vulnerable people – people with disabilities, breathing problems, asthma – but ‘normal’ people just get a hot temperature or a cold for a week.”
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It is a myth that young people are not affected and YorkshireLive has spoken to fit and healthy twenty-somethings who have suffered terribly with Covid-19 or the ongoing effects of long Covid.
Nonetheless, the concerning attitude to Covid-19 appears to be widespread in the east Leeds suburb.
In March, LeedsLive revealed that at the time it was the area with the lowest vaccine uptake across Yorkshire among over 50s.
Kawan, a 30-year-old barber who runs a business on Harehills Lane, has had his first vaccine but admits that large numbers of his customers, the majority of whom are young white British men, openly admit to not being jabbed.
“Plenty of our customers have refused to take the vaccine,” he says. “We have more customers who haven’t had it.
“Some of them are scared of the vaccine. They say it has not been out for very long and some of them think there is a ‘plan’ behind it.
“But many of them just do not care about others.”
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Government-backed incentives such as discounts with Uber and Deliveroo have been launched to try and encourage young people to get jabbed.
Kawan says that some of his customers have changed their minds in recent weeks, but only because it allows them more freedom.
“Maybe if they want to go holiday, then yes they will [have the vaccine], but otherwise no.
“If people say they are not taking it, they are absolutely not taking it.”
Cllr Arif Hussain has served the Harehills and Gitpon community for almost 25 years and few people know the area as well as he does.
He thinks targeting parents is the most likely route towards higher vaccination figures.
Cllr Arif Hussain believes vaccine uptake among younger people in Harehills South will soon increase, despite official NHS figures suggesting otherwise
He says: “It’s so important to get the messages out to the parents, because there will be a lot of 18 to 30-year-olds still living at home.
“We are trying to encourage families to have the vaccines. We are putting messages out on the local radio station [Fever FM] to explain vaccine centres are on the doorstep.”
Cllr Hussain says he is surprised at how low uptake is among the younger population, but vows to do everything he can to encourage as many people as possible.
He points to recent successes at the Bilal Masjid Mosque, where a pop-up clinic saw more than 600 people vaccinated in a single day.
“We will definitely be putting out messages in different mosques to encourage uptake,” he says,
“I am sure that the numbers will go up in the coming weeks.”
Sarah, a 32-year-old NHS worker, has her own theory about why vaccine uptake here might be lower than elsewhere across the county.
“There are loads of other reasons rather than blaming the young people about why they haven’t got it,” she says.
Sarah, 32, thinks the low uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in Harehills may be due to a lack of support and advice for local people
(Image: Kristian Johnson / Reach plc)
“Opportunities around here are rubbish. For example, my GP in Chapel Allerton gives out free travel vaccines, whereas the one here doesn’t. Why? Surely people with more money [in Chapel Allerton] can afford it. It’s really unfair.
“I just don’t think this area is looked after very well. You can blame the people here and say: ‘No one cares’, but I’ve lived here for seven years and I’ve lived in Leeds all my life. I know what Harehills is like and I think it needs a bit more love.
“It’s got its ups and downs, but I see the positives of here. I think it needs more help.”
Despite the worryingly low figures, there are young people here who have been vaccinated.
“I’ve got asthma, so I got the vaccine to be careful,” says 17-year-old Sean Cockill.
“I want to look after myself and I don’t care what other people think.”
Ellie Chadwick, 18, and Lee Ashton, 22, are getting their vaccines soon.
Ellie Chadwick, 18, and Lee Ashton, 22
(Image: Kristian Johnson / Reach plc)
“It surprises me,” says Ellie. “They [people who won’t be vaccinated] are putting others at risk.
“They need to have it, because if you’re looking after elderly people, you’ll then have a barrier to protect them instead of passing it on.”
NHS Leeds are keen to stress that there are a number of options if people do wish to be vaccinated.
A spokesperson for the Leeds vaccination programme said: “Partners across the city have been working together to ensure people aged 18 and over, take up the offer of having the Covid-19 vaccine.
“There are walk-in vaccination clinics in Leeds and in Harehills and there are two walk-in vaccination clinics taking place at the Bilal Centre every week on Wednesdays from 10am to 5pm and Fridays from 2pm to 6pm. Having a walk-in clinic in a local community venue will encourage people to attend, as it’s easy to access and people will feel comfortable attending as they’re familiar with the venue.
“We have other local vaccination sites like the one at East Leeds Health Centre, where you have to book an appointment through the national booking service on the NHS website. We also have the vaccination bus which will be giving second doses to people aged 40 and over (no appointment needed) in the following areas that are in or close to Harehills over the coming weeks; Cromwell Mount in Burmantofts, Nowell Mount Community Centre and the CATCH building in Harehills.
“There’s also targeted work being undertaken with GP practices, working with community organisations to maximise engagement opportunities and having local people who are community champions, as they’re helping to get trusted information about the Covid-19 vaccines to their communities.
“We’re urging people to come forward and have their vaccine if they haven’t already done so, and to have your second dose (8 weeks from having your first one) whether it’s at a walk-in clinic or booking an appointment on the national booking service.
“Evidence shows that the second dose not only increases your protection against Covid but gives you longer-lasting protection, so it’s very important that you have both doses.”
You can book a Covid-19 vaccine via the national booking service here, or find your nearest walk-in vaccination clinic here.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) population figures are used to calculate NHS data on vaccination uptake.
A number of areas in Yorkshire are difficult to calculate for a number of reasons, becausethe number of vaccinated people is very low or because students are vaccinated at home rather than at university.
Across Yorkshire, Harehills South has the lowest vaccination uptake of all the areas with reliable data.
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