ENCOURAGING unvaccinated people to get their Covid jabs has been compared to the struggle to get people to quit smoking.

During a recent discussion on the response to Covid in Bradford, Councillors heard that almost a quarter of eligible people in the District were still not vaccinated.

Public health officers said the years' long struggle to convince people to stop smoking, despite decades of research showing smoking can cause major health problems, was similar to convincing people that getting the vaccine was in the best interest of them and their communities.

A report given to members of Bradford Council's Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee last week stated that as of the first week of November, around 77 per cent of the eligible population of Bradford, 395,052 people, had been given at least one jab.

Just under 72 per cent had received two doses.

The vaccine roll out has been credited with reducing the proportion of hospitalisations among people who are vaccinated. Currently four per cent of Covid cases lead to hospitalisation. In January that figure was 13 per cent.

But the report said: "There is evidence that vaccine hesitancy is prevalent within certain communities across Bradford district."

Caroline Tomes, consultant in public health, said: "Convincing people who have not been vaccinated to get the jab is a big challenge.

"You can just look at tobacco control and how we try in public health to encourage people to quit smoking. It is a tough crowd to crack.

"It takes time and you really need to build relationships."

Concerns over high smoking rates in Bradford

Duncan Cooper, consultant in public health, added: "Persuading people that it is the right thing to do will only get you so far."

Recent figures estimate that around 18 per cent of adults in Bradford are smokers.

Councillor Paul Godwin (Lab, Keighley West) said: "People don't seem to have a measure of risk to their health.

"The most obvious thing in the world is that smoking is not good for you, but people still do it.

"It sums up the problems public health faces."

He also pointed out that a number of Councillors smoked, and suggested as a Council members should do better to lead by example.

Referring to the vaccination figures, Councillor Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey) said: "If 75 per cent of people are vaccinated, it still means 25 per cent are not yet vaccinated.

"In some areas of Bradford that figure is 50 per cent. We have to get people to recognise they are still at risk when they may have decided they are done with Covid and everything will be fine."

Members were told that public health teams were working with different communities to highlight the importance of vaccinations and dispel myths.