Hackney along with other inner city boroughs in the capital has some of the lowest rates of vaccination and boosters in the country.

As of January 10, 63.5 per cent of the borough's population had received their first dose, 57.5 had received a second and 36.7 had got their third.

Nationally, as of January 9, official figures show an average of 90.4pc of the population have had their first dose, 83pc their second and 62pc their third.

Over the last three weeks, 43,000 booster doses have been given in the City and Hackney, compared to 23,000 doses in the three weeks prior.

Dr Sandra Husbands, City and Hackney's director of public health, said: "Our vaccination centres and clinics all extended their hours in response to the advanced booster programme."

While the director reported a "consistent uptake" of first and second vaccines at all the borough's vaccination sites, she said it's never too late to get vaccinated.

Dr Husbands also pointed to Hackney's young population as being a factor in the lower rates of uptake.

She added: “We know that the lowest rates of first, second and booster vaccination are in Cazenove, Stamford Hill West, Springfield, Woodberry Down, Hoxton East and Shoreditch and Hoxton West wards.

"Cazenove, Stamford Hill West, Springfield and Woodberry Down have a young population, which is shown in our ward profiles."

The council is working with the NHS on "targeted engagement areas" of low uptake.

This has included the introduction of a Sunday pop-up clinic at Spring Hill Practice in Stamford Hill, which has vaccinated more than 1,200 people since October 2021.

The work has also included the recruitment of eight community organisations to support outreach with groups identified as having low vaccination uptake, as well as advocacy work with faith leaders and community groups.

Meanwhile, Homerton Hospital’s chief executive, Tracey Fletcher, has said the number of Covid patients being cared for appears to be “plateauing”.

Cases have started to drop in Hackney, down from 2289 per 100,000 people in Hackney and City in the week ending December 22, to 1419 per 100,000 in the week ending January 5.

To book a vaccination, visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/