London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

Covid-19: 'Vaccine misinformation a dilemma for young people'

Covid-19: 'Vaccine misinformation a dilemma for young people'

"Misinformation" is creating a "real dilemma" for young people considering whether they should take the Covid-19 vaccine, Northern Ireland's mental health champion has said.

Prof Siobhán O'Neill said it had left young people questioning "whether the vaccine is safe".

There should not be that level of "uncertainty", she added.

She said trust needed to be put in the "experts and the scientists who are making the decisions".

"We have to look to the scientific consensus and the public health leaders and the doctors and the main organisations, " she said.

"That's where we should be focusing for our information."

Prof O'Neill was appointed mental health champion earlier this month.

She told the Sunday with Steven Rainey programme on BBC Radio Ulster that there exists a "mistrust" of authority.

"Because we have so much misinformation out there, there may be young people who will see this as a real dilemma around whether the vaccine is safe, that for me is a big problem because there should not be that level of uncertainty," she said.

Northern Ireland remains behind other parts of the United Kingdom for vaccine uptake, with 80% of people having been double vaccinated.

The figure for the whole of the UK is 81.6%, with Wales having the highest double-vaccinated figure, at 84.6%.

Most children are expected to receive their jab in school

Among 18 to 29 year olds in Northern Ireland, vaccine uptake is at 73.25%, and at 78.3% for people aged 30 to 39.

It is lowest for 16 to 17 year olds, at 47%, who have been able to receive the vaccine since early August.

It was announced last week that young people aged 12 to 15 would be offered the Covid-19 vaccine.

It is likely it will be offered through schools in October, with parental consent sought prior to vaccination.

'Mistrust is out there'


Prof O'Neill said the point of young people getting vaccinated was "to reduce their risk of getting infected, and reduce their risk of spreading it to others", and to reduce the time off they would have to spend out of school.

"If we go into hospital, we usually just accept whatever the doctors and nurses say," she said.

"Whatever drugs we need as well. However, that mistrust is out there. The mistrust of authority, the mistrust of our health workers."

On Friday, the Department of Health said unvaccinated made up 12% of the adult population in Northern Ireland, but 72% of people in intensive care.

It said adults who have not had two vaccine doses are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital, and 10 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care.

Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
Well let's see what the science says.... The guy who invented MRNA has said anyone healthy under 20 has a 99.997 %chance of living if they get the china flu and those under 20 have a 6 fold increase chance of having heart problems if they take the experimental biological agent they call a vaccine. So let's stick to the science as the lying Dr F always says

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×