Nearly half of all older people who were vaccinated against Covid-19 in England are breaking lockdown rules, new research found on Thursday.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) study looked at the behaviours of people aged over 80 after receiving at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Researchers found that compliance with coronavirus restrictions started to wane after the initial injection, with 41 per cent of respondents reporting that they had broken the rules by meeting up with someone indoors.
UK lockdown restrictions state that it is against the law to meet socially with family or friends unless they are part of your household or support bubble.
The findings were published after a separate study found the decline in Covid-19 infections was starting to slow in England.
Imperial College London’s React study found that one in every 213 people in the country was still testing positive for the virus.
The same study previously reported that one in 200 people was carrying the virus between February 4 and February 13. In January, scientists reported that one in 63 people was infected.
The latest figures show "substantial falls'' in household infections in all age groups and in most regions since early January, but there was evidence of smaller falls in infections in Yorkshire and the north-east.
There were apparent increases in London, the south-east and the Midlands – although this was based on only a few days' data in February.
The authors of the study said it was important to keep infections low while the vaccine programme is rolled out.
More than 20 million people in the UK have now received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
The ONS said that two out of five people aged over 80 said they had met someone from outside their household indoors despite receiving the vaccine less than three weeks ago.
Scientists say it takes 21 days for immunity to kick in after receiving the shot.
Children, grandchildren and spouses were the family members primarily met by inoculated older people, the research showed.
