In our new blog, @AdeleGroyer updates our analysis of the vaccination status of hospital admissions in England.

For those aged 50 plus, the unvaccinated 5% now make up 34% of hospital admissions. 90% of those aged 50 plus are fully vaccinated but make up 52% of admissions. pic.twitter.com/WUCnfEpbbP

— COVID-19 Actuaries Response Group (@COVID19actuary) July 27, 2021

Joe Biden is considering making public service workers get vaccinated or face the sack. That is not the kind of choice we offer people in the UK but you can sense the frustration in the Covid actuaries’ recent tweets.

The stats show that Covid is now an issue for the unvaccinated and they are , in the UK, mostly under 50 and most intensely under 30. Despite the BBC’s headline, it looks like the under 30s are levelling out way below the levels of their parents.

So why are vaccination trends down for  younger people and what do we make of their behaviour?

Some are conscientious objectors but most are just showing the impetuosity of youth.

Impetuous youth

“Impetuous” is a word with in-built ambiguity, it goes both ways. In the positive sense, it describes the forceful directed activity such as we’re witnessing amongst our teenage activities. The older athletes describe the fear they have, the teenagers don’t stop to think.

In its negative sense, impetuosity implies a thought or activity done quickly without due consideration, which is where the actuaries are with the youth that don’t get jabbed (and where Joe Biden’s head is at).

The word is so good to describe youth. I’ve been going through the three chapters of podcasts from George the Poet , now they are on BBC Sounds. One of the big themes is that the force of nature in young black music comes from the impetuosity of those making it. Drill music is what you make when you don’t consider the consequences and that’s why it speaks to young kids , whether inside or outside the gangs and ghettos.

And that word impetuosity , is why young people are more likely to end up in hospital or even dead from Covid. It is also why they are prone to death by knife or gun crime, motorbike accidents and self-harm.

Understanding the two sides of the coin called impetuosity, makes sense of the lower rates of vaccination among the under thirties. It doesn’t make it “sensible” , but it should ease the actuaries’ frustration!