Despite the government encouraging all those aged 18-29 to come forward for their first jab by 11 July, the latest statistics show 58% have done so.
Vaccination programme lead Becky Sherrington said: ‘We really want to stress to young Islanders not to let Covid ruin their summer.’
The government also outlined a new regime yesterday that will require direct contacts and arriving passengers only to have one test if that test result is negative.
The change in testing strategy is aimed at focusing capacity – which has been stretched to the limit in recent weeks – on the Island’s sharply rising number of active cases, which have now reached 1,876.
Take-up rates of the vaccine among younger Islanders have prompted attempts to drive up the overall coverage figure.
Although 11 July had originally been set as a target for all over-18s to book their first jab, Mrs Sherrington stressed that there was no deadline and that up to 1,000 appointments for first jabs were available every week.
She said: ‘Those who contract the virus face having to isolate at home – with their parents in many cases – and miss out on one of the best times of the year, with a risk that travel and holidays could be disrupted.’
Social-media activity, including on Instagram, will be stepped up during the remainder of July in order to ensure as many adults as possible are protected by the time the current phase of the programme is wound down in the latter part of August.
Dr Ivan Muscat, deputy medical officer of health, said: ‘We acknowledge that young people have very busy lives and that health-related concerns may not feature prominently in their timetables but we’d ask them to make time in order to sustain the way they live. Make it a top priority.’
Between 4,000 and 5,000 slots for second doses are due to be made available over the coming weeks.
Latest data published yesterday showed that, by 11 July, 67% of over-18s had received both jabs with a further 16% having had one dose so far, while Jersey’s latest total of 83% of adults being either singly or doubly-vaccinated compares with 95% of adults in Guernsey.
Dr Muscat said the intention behind the changed testing regime was to focus efforts where they were most needed. Around 30% of those who were tested after showing symptoms subsequently tested positive, he said, in contrast to positivity rates for other groups, which indicate:
Less than 1% of arriving passengers test positive, meaning they will only require one test on arrival. Recent arrivals will have their day-eight tests cancelled. The exception is for those who have a travel history which includes a territory on the UK’s red-list. Such passengers will face a mandatory ten days’ isolation and three tests.
Between 6% and 7% of direct contacts test positive. From now on, direct contacts will only face one test after being identified and contacted by track-and-trace officials. Currently 10,153 Islanders have been identified as direct contacts.
Around 2% of those taking PCR tests as part of the workforce testing programme test positive. From now on, the workforce programme will only use lateral-flow tests.
Dr Muscat added: ‘There is more virus in the community so the finite nature of the track-and-trace system has come into play and we are redirecting [capacity] in order to suppress, rather than contain, the virus.’
