All care home residents in Barking and Dagenham have had a coronavirus vaccination, the council has said.

But it warned there had been a slower uptake of jabs among frontline carers.

The borough still has some of the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country, with 915 positive tests per 100,000 people in the week ending January 16.

The council's cabinet heard that vaccinations had now taken place in every care home and almost 70 per cent of all over-80s in the borough had received the first jab.

However many frontline staff eligible for the vaccine had not come forward. Cabinet member for health Maureen Worby said: "Everybody in those [priority] categories has been offered the vaccine. But not everyone has taken it up.

"With the elderly the uptake has been really really strong, because they are vulnerable and they want to have the vaccine. There is a slower uptake among some of the frontline workers. There are some myths out there about the safety of having the vaccine and all I can say is it is safe. There are no risks...Please if you are offered the vaccine, have it. Because you need to take it to protect others."

Other east London boroughs also said staff vaccination rates had been slower.

Tower Hamlets, which has the second highest positivity rate for the virus in London suggesting transmission is still very high, has so far vaccinated 86 per cent of care home residents. However just 42 per cent of staff in the borough have had the jab.