The leader of Preston City Council has called for an increase in the speed with which Covid-19 vaccinations are being rolled out in those areas hardest hit by the pandemic.

Councillor Matthew Brown tweeted earlier today (Sunday 14 February) in response to an ITV Granada interview with the Director of Public Health for Blackburn with Darwen, Dominic Harrison.

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Speaking to Hannah Miller from ITV Granada, Professor Harrison warned that an increase is needed to avoid both deaths and further economic harm.

He said: “Compare the North West and the South West. If you live in the North West you have twice the risk of death from Covid and three times the risk of transmission.

“It doesn’t make sense to roll out the vaccine at the same rate across the North West and the South West, given that data.”

Read more: Preston woman urging South Asian communities to have Covid-19 vaccination

Councillor Brown supported Professor Harrison’s argument, saying: “Totally right call from @BWDDPH that vaccination should be speeded up in areas which currently have higher infection rates. Less well off parts of Lancashire including Preston have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and need appropriate support.”

Preston’s Covid-19 numbers continue to remain above 300 cases per 100,000 people.

This week the city moved into the top 10 highest infection rates in England.

Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines

Do you think areas with higher infection rates should be prioritised for the vaccine? Let us know in the comments.