Covid-19: More than 20 million in UK have had first jab – Hancockon February 28, 2021 at 4:47 pm

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

The milestone is a “huge national achievement” and “every jab makes a difference”, Boris Johnson says.

A woman receives the AstraZeneca Covid19 vaccine at an NHS vaccination centre in Ealing, west London, Britain 12 February, 2021. UK is close to completing first step of the vaccination programme, with 13.5m people having had a first jab according to NHS England.

image copyrightEPA

More than 20 million people in the UK have now had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it a “huge national achievement” and said “every jab makes a difference in our battle against Covid”.

The latest government figures show 20,089,551 people in the UK have now had a first dose, while 796,132 have had a second.

The government is aiming to offer all adults a first jab by the end of July.

But the head of NHS Providers – which represents hospital trusts in England – warned there was “a long way to go”.

“We’re not even close to half way through this programme,” said Chris Hopson. “And there’s a further challenge: to design a workforce model to enable us to do this year in year out.”

While he welcomed the milestone, he added: “As we set out in our recent briefing, we need to see more progress on vaccines, lower Covid-19 case numbers, much less pressure on the NHS and plans in place to contain future outbreaks before easing restrictions.

“Now is not the time to let down our guard.”

The government’s next target is to offer a first dose to all over-50s by 15 April, as well as people aged 16-64 with certain underlying health conditions and unpaid carers for disabled and elderly people.

After that, people will be prioritised by age group.

There are no plans yet to vaccinate children, although trials have been announced to test the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab on children.

From Monday, nearly two million people aged 60 to 63 in England will start receiving letters inviting them to book their vaccine.

Vaccination trajectory graph

Mr Johnson said on Twitter that the 20 million milestone was “a testament to the tireless work of NHS staff, volunteers, the armed forces and many more”.

“I urge everyone to get the jab when called,” he added.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock also said it was “a magnificent achievement for the country” and the vaccine was “our route out”.

According to the figures published on Sunday, the 20 million milestone was reached after a further 407,503 jabs were administered in one day.

The figures include: 17.1 million first doses given in England, 1.6 million first doses in Scotland, 923,615 first doses in Wales and 520,996 first doses in Northern Ireland.

Priority group list

Meanwhile, NHS England said people in the 60-63 age bracket would start receiving letters on Monday explaining how to book a jab through the national booking service, with those aged 50 to 60 set to be invited “shortly”.

It said the vaccine rollout was gaining “fresh momentum”, with medical director Prof Stephen Powis urging anyone who had been invited to take up the offer.

“It doesn’t matter when you were invited you can still come forward and protect yourself and others,” he said.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said vaccine supplies are expected to increase in March, adding: “We’re planning for further acceleration as we head towards Easter.”

Banner image reading 'more about coronavirus'
Banner
Around the BBC iPlayer banner
Around the BBC iPlayer footer
- Advertisement -

Discover

Sponsor

Latest

Saint, Galactico, Welsh hero: The evolution of Wales captain Gareth Baleon November 17, 2022 at 4:31 am

With Gareth Bale set to play in his first World Cup, BBC Sport examines the key stages of the Wales captain's evolution during his...

King Charles to divert Crown Estate windfall to ‘public good’on January 19, 2023 at 1:16 am

The King wants to cut the royal slice of Crown Estate profits, which are rising after a £1bn wind farm deal.Image source, ReutersBy Sean...

Kush: Sierra Leone’s new illegal drugon February 7, 2022 at 12:36 am

With Kush use spreading rapidly, local film-maker Tyson Conteh asks whether Sierra Leone can stop the march of this dangerously addictive high.With Kush use...

Mercedes Matzen: IT Business Analyst Job Description

Mercedes Matzen is an IT Business Analyst at a local healthcare insurance company. She made the decision to go into this field because she...

Ukraine troops in counter-offensive against Russiaon September 1, 2022 at 5:22 am

Ukraine is trying to seize the initiative from Russian troops before the arrival of winter.Government forces in Ukraine are trying to seize the initiative...