All over-50s have now been offered a first vaccine jab
EVERYONE aged 50 and over has been offered a Covid jab – hitting the Government’s April 15 target three days early. Latest figures show 32,190,576 first doses and 7,656,205 second jabs have been administered. Under-50s will start being summoned within days.
The Prime Minister said:
“We have now passed another hugely significant milestone. “We will now move forward with completing essential second doses and making progress towards our target of offering all adults a vaccine by the end of July.” Meanwhile, final guidance on vaccinating the under-50s – and whether any groups should be prioritised - is set to be published. In England people aged 45 to 49 are expected to be called first. This has already started to happen in Northern Ireland.
Initial appointments will reportedly only be for people aged 49 with those younger people told to book in for later in the month.
Wales has become the first UK nation to give a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to half its population. Scotland is on 48.8%, England on 48.2% and Northern Ireland at 43.6%.
Wales was first in the UK to roll
out the Moderna vaccine, with the first batch given last week.
Scotland has also started using Moderna with England due to follow later this month.
The one-shot Janssen jab is set for UK approval in the coming days.
Director-General of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The pandemic is a long way from over. But we have many reasons for optimism.”