NEARLY half of 16 to 17-year-olds in Redditch have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, figures reveal.

Public Health England data shows 930 people aged 16 and 17 in Redditch had received a jab by September 4 – 46% of the age group, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service database.

That was broadly in line with the average across England.

Those aged 16 and 17 became eligible for a vaccine last month and pop-up vaccination centres were set up at events such as music festivals to encourage uptake.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK needed to speed up vaccinating youngsters in the age group, who are “a very important group for potential transmission”.

“There are still some who need that protection and I would just urge everybody who hasn’t yet had a jab to go and get one,” he added.