Nearly a quarter of adults in the city have still not received a coronavirus vaccine, figures suggest – one year after they were all offered the chance to get their first jab.

All over-18s in England have been eligible to book a Covid vaccination since mid-June 2021 which marked a milestone for the vaccine rollout.

Data from NHS England shows 211,762 people aged 18 and over in Brighton and Hove had received a first dose of the vaccine by June 5 – at least 77.6 per cent of those in the area, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service.

But it means roughly 22.4 per cent remain unvaccinated.

With only 66 per cent having received at least one vaccine, those aged 30-34 have the highest refusal rates in Brighton and Hove.

By comparison, the 80+ age bracket has the highest uptake in the city at 94.1 per cent.

Meanwhile, at least 9.6 per cent of 5-11 year-olds, 60.2 per cent of 12-15 year-olds and 68.6 per cent of 16-17 year-olds have been jabbed.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “While the take-up in the city is lower than some other areas of the country, it is comparable with other similar cities.

“As we continue to promote and deliver vaccinations seven days a week, our rates continue to increase with more people getting their vaccines every day.

“There are many reasons why people haven’t had all their vaccines. But Covid hasn’t gone away and we would urge everyone who hasn’t had all of their vaccinations to come forward as soon as possible.

“Getting all the Covid vaccines you are eligible for will give you the strongest protection against the virus, prevent the worst effects and reduce risk of infection to those around you.”

Walk-in sessions across the city remain available, including at the vaccination centre in Churchill Square.

Rates nationally differed between just 63.9 per cent in Westminster, and 93.3 per cent in Hambleton, Yorkshire.

Using Office for National Statistics data, which experts say are more accurate at a national level, figures show around 93.3 per cent of adults across England had received a first jab by June 5.

Dr Simon Williams, psychology lecturer at Swansea University, has been running a study into the public's attitude towards vaccines, and said ethnicity and deprivation are the two biggest factors which can help explain the inequalities in vaccine coverage.

He said a long history of social and economic inequality, experiences of systemic discrimination, and health disparities have led to more mistrust of government in some ethnic communities.

Mr Williams also said a younger age demographic, vaccine misinformation and social norms have all contributed to low uptake rates in some areas.

He said: "Vaccines are the tools to continue to reduce the harm that Covid inflicts on people, including death and hospitalisations, but also reducing future rates of long Covid which currently affects 1.2 million people and the long-term impacts we still don't fully understand.

"We also need to better engage with some communities to understand what economic, social and cultural factors might be explaining why uptake is so low."

Mr Williams said many people think the pandemic is over and are much less worried about the risk of infection now, but the unvaccinated are still at a greater risk of infection and serious illness than those who have been fully vaccinated.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recently advised the government to provide an autumn Covid-19 booster programme in preparation for winter.