Revealed: Map shows major local variation in COVID vaccination rates

Almost every person aged over 80 has received a COVID vaccine in one area of England, compared to less than three quarters in the area with the lowest rate, new figures reveal.

Some 98% of over 80s in the Gloucestershire Sustainability & Transformational Partnership (STP) has had a first dose, followed by 96.5% in Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent and 96.4% in Shropshire & Telford and Wrekin.

Just 73.1% of over 80s in the area covered by the East London Health & Care Partnership STP has received a first dose of the coronavirus jab, according to the latest data from NHS England.

There are 42 STPs in England, each of which contains a number of local authorities, NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups.

Over two thirds of STPs have now vaccinated over 90% of their 80s.

Search the map below to see how many over 80s have had a vaccine in your area

The figures show that London is falling behind in the race to give life saving jabs to it vulnerbale elderly population.

The five STPs with the lowest rates of vaccination for over 80s were all the capital, and three of those have vaccinated less than 80% of over 80s.

Read more: 'We reopened too fast': WHO warns European leaders against false sense of security

The other areas where less thann 90% of over 80s have received a jab are: Birmingham and Solihull (84.98%); Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (87.38%); Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (89.39%); and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Health and Care (89.55%).

Watch: COVID-19 vaccine: UK praised for making coronavirus jab available to migrants

Read more: EU doesn’t understand ‘shock and anger’ caused by threat to block UK vaccines

Regional data from NHS England raises further questions about the pace of London's vaccine rollout among the most elderly.

Almost a quarter of Londoners over 80 have yet to get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose, despite the rest of the country reaching almost all of this age group.

An estimated 78.4% of those aged 80 and over in the capital had received their first jab up to 7 February, the lowest proportion for any region.

South-west England had the highest proportion, with an estimated 96.0%.

Here are the full figures, based on first doses given up to 7 February:

• South-west England 96.0%

• North-east England/Yorkshire 93.2%

• Midlands 92.2%

• South-east England 92.2%

• North-west England 91.6%

• Eastern England 91.5%

• London 78.4%

With the vaccine rollout continuing at pace, younger groups are receiving their jabs in large numbers.

According to NHS England data, almost all of the 75 to 79-year-olds in the south west have been given their first dose.

London is again lagging behind for this category with just 83.1% of 75-79s given their first dose.

The estimates for 75 to 79-year-olds in other regions are: Eastern England 97.5%; South-east England 96.7%; Midlands 96.3%; North-east England/Yorkshire 96.1% and North-west England 95.6%.

The government has committed to vaccinating all of the over 70s in the country before 15 February and is on course to hit its goal.

The vaccine rollout is seen as the key to ending lockdowns – but it is unlikely rules will come to an end soon after the most vulnerable have received their jab.

While hospitalisations and deaths will fall, the fear of a new variant developing and spreading rapidly that could undo all the work so far means lockdowns will carry on until infections fall.

Watch: PM: 'Great strides' made in vaccinating most vulnerable