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It is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of suffragist Emily Wilding Davison. But now Morpeth, tucked away at the southern tip of Northumberland, can also claim to pave the way for Covid vaccines.
More than 90% of adults in the Merchant City have received peak protection against the virus – the highest of any size in England – while Northumberland has the highest proportion of fully vaccinated residents in the country.
That means Morpeth’s vulnerable people will be among the first in line when the NHS begins rolling out booster shots next week, in a decision announced by Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday.
David Bawn, the conservative mayor of Morpeth City Council, said he was sure the recalls would be taken with just as much enthusiasm.
“We’re very reasonable here,” he said on a busy trading day near the town’s medieval clock tower. “We weigh things, but we realize how important it is to pursue normalcy.”
However, Bawn said it was “worrying” that only 3% of adults in Africa have been fully immunized and the UK should do more to help other countries catch up.
“These things [the booster programme and supporting other countries] can work in tandem. It is in our best interest to help other countries that are behind schedule and I would support the government by donating to the international program. We have the resources to meet and exceed our international obligations, ”said Bawn, who is also a Northumberland County Councilor.
“It’s one thing to be able to go back to your local cafe, but for businesses to trade across borders – that’s what real openness is.”
The UK is the second-largest vaccine donor behind the US, pledging to donate 80 million doses to the Covax international sharing program. However, to date, the UK has reportedly delivered only 5 million, or just 6.4%.
The World Health Organization says nearly all of Africa’s 54 countries are on the verge of missing the “urgent global target” of immunizing the most vulnerable 10% of the population by the end of September .