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More Than 15 Million UK People Have Now Received At Least One Vaccine Dose

More Than 15 Million UK People Have Now Received At Least One Vaccine Dose

The target, set out in January, appears to have been hit

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

The UK has successfully given 15 million people their first dose of one of the available coronavirus vaccines, meeting the target a day early, according to vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi.

The figure means that the government seems to have achieved what they set out to do on January 4, vaccinating everyone within the top four priority groups.

The plan was to make sure that everyone over the age of 70 and who are clinically vulnerable had at least one dose of a vaccine by February 15, as well as offering vaccinations to every resident of a care home, and front line health and social care workers.

It's also possible that some people outside of the four main priority groups have received a dose as well, in a bid to stop doses going to waste.

PA

Zahawi tweeted: "15 million! Amazing team.

"We will not rest [until] we offer the vaccine to the whole of phase one, the 1 to 9 categories of the most vulnerable and all over 50s by [the end of] April, and then all adults."

Of that total of more than 15 million, which was officially announced as part of the daily update yesterday, 14,556,827 were first doses and 534,869 were second doses.

Health secretary Matt Hancock released a statement that read: "I'm so proud of the team - we've hit this fantastic milestone in our battle against COVID-19. In less than 10 weeks we've jabbed over 15 million people across the UK.

"That's one in every four adults now starting to receive protection from this dreadful disease."

PA

"This accomplishment is thanks to the incredible efforts of frontline NHS workers, vaccine volunteers, the armed forces and all those working in local and central government. The vaccine rollout shows what our country can achieve working together.

"There is so much more to do and I urge anyone eligible to step forward and take up their appointment. The vaccine is our route to freedom - we will beat this virus jab by jab."

This news comes after Hancock said yesterday that he hoped that advancements in treatment of the disease and vaccines could make Covid-19 a 'treatable disease' by the end of 2021.

However, he also admitted concerns about the levels of vaccine uptake amongst some communities.

He issued a direct plea to anyone over 70 to contact the NHS in order to request an appointment for a vaccine. Hancock said: "I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible,

"Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic."

PA

The NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens reserved praise for the staff who have worked tirelessly to get the doses administered in the hundreds of thousands over recent weeks.

At a publicity event at a Coventry hospital where he met May Parson, the first nurse to administer a vaccine dose in December, Stevens said: "It is thanks to fantastic staff like May that the NHS is delivering Europe's fastest and largest Covid vaccination programme.

"The whole of the NHS has mobilised to protect the most vulnerable, supported by communities coming together with volunteers, local authorities, the armed forces and local businesses.

"After a year of huge pandemic pressure, it has been a huge and unique team effort that gives us real hope for the future."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, vaccine, Coronavirus, Politics, Health