The silver-haired rebels: Four of out 10 over-80s admit breaking Covid lockdown rules to meet others after having their vaccine jab

• Office for National Statistics study surveyed 2,070 over-80s across England 
• 43 per cent admitted to rebelling against restrictions after having a first dose
• Nearly half admitted to meeting someone indoors since receiving both doses Two in five over-80s have broken lockdown rules by meeting up with others indoors after getting vaccinated against Covid, figures suggest.

  Office for National Statistics polling data released today revealed 43 per cent of the elderly have flouted virus-controlling restrictions after having a jab.

  Nearly half admitted to meeting friends or family indoors after receiving both doses of the vaccine, even though this is still not allowed. 

  Under rules introduced in England in January, family or friends cannot meet socially indoors unless they are in the same household or support bubble.  

  Separate households will not be allowed to meet inside in groups until May 17 at the earliest in England, according to Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown.  

  But 878 of the 2,041 vaccinated over-80s surveyed across England between February 15 and 20 admitted to either visiting a friend or having someone over to their home since being jabbed 

  The group were 'appearing to break lockdown regulations', according to the ONS. 

  

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  Two out of five over-80s have broken lockdown by meeting up with others indoors since having a first dose of a coronavirus vaccineSome 2.6million over-80s had been vaccinated in England by February 21, according to the latest data. 

  A small number of over-80s received their coronavirus vaccine before the national lockdown was reintroduced but the vast majority will have been jabbed after January 5. 

  The poll showed 23 per cent of inoculated over-80s met up with their children and nine per cent felt safe enough to see their grandchildren. 

  Six per cent met up with friends indoors but a third had not seen anyone — including their support bubble or carers — despite having had a jab.

  Almost half (49 per cent) of the over-80s surveyed said they felt Covid was a major risk to them personally before having the vaccine.

  But 81 per cent felt the risk was less after receiving one dose of the vaccine and 95 per cent said they would feel safer after receiving both doses.

  

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  Office for National Statistics data released today shows that 43 per cent of the elderly have admitted to rebelling against restrictions after having a jab

  

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  The survey shows 23 per cent of those who had at least one dose of a vaccine met up with their children and nine per cent felt safe enough to see their grandchildren

  Of all over-80s surveyed, 96 per cent said they would be very or somewhat likely to encourage others to get a jab. 

  Some 99.8 per cent of respondents said they had been offered a jab, and 78 per cent had received their first dose more than three weeks ago.

  This is despite ministers saying jabs had been offered to everyone over the age of 80. 

  Tim Gibbs, from the ONS, said: 'The rollout of the Covid vaccination is, no doubt, a huge relief to many people aged over 80.

  'We can see almost half of all them, when asked, considered Covid to be a major or significant personal risk before receiving the vaccination.

  'This decreases to just five per cent having the same concern after hypothetically receiving both doses of the vaccine.

  'It will hopefully also improve a wider quality of life for this group. 

  'We hope to start to see these wider positive effects of the vaccine rollout as it continues across more age groups in the coming weeks.'