The NHS has vaccinated more than half of all people in their 70s against Covid-19, health secretary Matt Hancock has announced.
These patients have been vaccinated in two weeks since GPs were given the green light to begin inviting patients in their 70s for a Covid vaccination.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference yesterday evening (1 February), Mr Hancock said that nine in 10 over 80s in the UK have also received a Covid jab, and that in total, the NHS has vaccinated 9.2 million people across the country to date.
This follows a ‘mammoth effort’ to vaccinate the cohorts last weekend, Mr Hancock said, with 931,204 people receiving Covid vaccinations on Saturday and Sunday.
He said: ‘It fills me with pride that so many people are doing so much to help for this rollout to happen so smoothly, and I want to say thanks to you all.’
Mr Hancock also mentioned that the Covid vaccine has now been offered to every care home in England with older residents – which the Prime Minister hailed as a ‘crucial milestone’.
The health secretary said: ‘This has been an incredible example of health and social care working together to protect people who are in the most need.’
The Prime Minister has set a target for all people in the top four cohorts to have received their first Covid vaccine dose by mid-February.
This story first appeared on our sister title, Pulse.
