YOUNG people in the UK are to be offered discounts and freebies to encourage them to take the coronavirus vaccine.

The move comes amid government fears over a drop in uptake. 

Services including Uber and Deliveroo will offer discounts to young people who take up their vaccine offer.

The deal comes as part of a government incentive to encourage younger people to get vaccinated against coronavirus. 

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said around 67% of people aged 18 to 29 in England have received a first dose of the vaccine.

The latest initiative will see firms such as Uber, Bolt and Deliveroo among the brands offering incentives in order to encourage young people to get their jab.

 Full details of all the incentives - including when they’ll start and the age group they’ll be available to - are yet to be published, but this is a full list of the services expected to make offers.

Uber

Alongside offering discounts on Uber Eats, the ride-hailing service will give discounted journeys to young adults who receive a vaccine.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said Uber will start sending vaccine reminders to all users of the app in August.

Jamie Heywood of Uber said: “We’re proud to be working with the Government on this important campaign to encourage everyone to get their jab.”

Bolt

Bolt is another taxi app offering "free ride credit" to vaccination centres, meaning young people won’t have to pay to travel for their Covid jab.

This follows an earlier scheme run by the company offering free rides to vaccination centres. 

A spokesperson for Bolt said: “Bolt is delighted to support this campaign. Get a Bolt, grab a jab, get living.”

Deliveroo

Food delivery service Deliveroo is said to be in talks with the government to offer incentives to Brits who get the jab, including discounts on takeaway food. 

Meals will also be delivered for free to staff at vaccine centres.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said: "We want to do our small part to support the NHS during the pandemic, including delivering 1 million free meals to frontline NHS staff and vaccine centres.

"This is the next step in helping get people vaccinated and safely back to normal."

Pizza Pilgrims

Pizza Pilgrims is said to have plans to convert two of their sites into pop-up vaccination centres and has said it’ll offer free slices of pizza to people who get the jab. 

Thom Elliot, Pizza Pilgrims founder, said: “We are excited to do our bit in the push to get every adult in the UK vaccinated against COVID-19.

“By making getting your jab as easy as grabbing a pizza, hopefully we can help our teams and our customers get both their first and second doses as easily and quickly as possible. Watch this space for more details.”

Vue

According to reports in The Sunday Times, Vue is in talks about offering cinema discounts to people who get a vaccine. 

This hasn’t yet been confirmed by the government, with further details yet to be revealed. 

McDonald’s

According to the same reports, McDonald’s may also be offering discounts to vaccinated Brits.

The fast food chain has also launched a campaign in the US to encourage vaccination.