People aged 70 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable will begin receiving invitations for vaccinations from tomorrow, the Government has announced.
Government figures are becoming increasingly optimistic about the coronavirus vaccine rollout, with million of over-70s now expected to be invited to get their first vaccine.
More than 3.8million people have so far received their first vaccine dose in the UK, Boris Johnson said, as he hailed those helping the “fantastic national effort”.
This includes care home residents and staff, those aged 80 and over and frontline health and care staff – the main priority groups recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
(Image: REUTERS)
The Department of Health and Social Care announced that vaccination sites which have enough supply and capacity for further people are allowed to now offer vaccinations to the next two cohorts of at-risk groups.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the announcement is a “is a significant milestone in our vaccination programme”.
“We are now delivering the vaccine at a rate of 140 jabs a minute and I want to thank everyone involved in this national effort,” he said.
“We have a long way to go and there will doubtless be challenges ahead – but by working together we are making huge progress in our fight against this virus.”
The Department of Health has said it hoped to have vaccinated “tens of millions” of Britons by April, but has not publicly acknowledged a deadline for every UK adult.
Government sources have said reports of a June deadline to vaccinate every British adult are speculative, the PA news agency reports.
(Image: PA)
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Now that more than half of all over-80s have had their jab, we can begin vaccinating the next most vulnerable groups. Where an area has already reached the vast majority of groups 1-2, they can now start opening up the programme to groups 3-4.
“We are working day and night to make sure everyone who is 70 and over, our health and social care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable are offered the vaccine by the middle of February and our NHS heroes are making huge strides in making this happen.”
Hancock added that the latest measures do not mean the Government’s focus on getting care homes, healthcare staff and those aged 80 and over vaccinated is wavering.
(Image: PA)
“It will remain our utmost priority over the coming weeks to reach the rest of these groups.”
The guidance from the Government and the NHS to local vaccination services remains that they should still offer the vaccine to each of the priority groups in the order set out by the JCVI.
