More than 15 million people in the UK have now had their first coronavirus vaccine with the Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailing it as “an extraordinary feat" just over two months after the first jab was given. It comes as the government announced it has met its pledge of offering a jab to everyone in the top four priority groups in the UK. The rollout is now being expanded to over-65s and the clinically vulnerable.
In a video message, the PM praised a "truly national, UK-wide effort", adding that in England the jab had been offered to all those in the top four priority groups.
Wales has also met the target. But he stated that no-one is resting on their laurels. He said: "We've still got a long way to go to. And there will undoubtedly be bumps in the road. But after all we've achieved, I know we can go forward with great confidence."
Sunday's daily coronavirus figures show 15,062,189 people have now received an initial vaccine dose - after 505,362 first jabs were given out on Saturday. A further 258 people in the UK have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, taking the death toll by that measure to 117,166. Fewer deaths tend to be reported on Sundays, due to a reporting lag over the weekend. There were 10,972 new cases reported, bringing the total number of recorded infections to 4,038,078.
NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “The 15 million milestone was a remarkable shared achievement" - reached 10 weeks after the first vaccine was administered in the UK.
He said: "The NHS vaccination programme is the biggest and fastest in Europe - and in the health service's history - and that is down to the skill, care, and downright hard work of our fantastic staff, supported by local communities, volunteers and the armed forces."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “It meant one in every four adults was now starting to receive protection from this dreadful disease". But he cautioned: "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."
So far the vaccination programme has been aimed at the top four priority groups, including NHS frontline staff, care home residents and workers, over-70s, and people deemed clinically extremely vulnerable. These groups have accounted for 88% of the UK's Covid-19 deaths so far, according to the Department of Health and Social Care and are estimated by the JCVI to be some 15 million people.
A small number of the 15 million to receive a jab will have been outside these priority groups.
Ruth Rankine, director of the NHS Confederation's PCN Network of GP practices, paid tribute to the incredible accomplishment but added that until everyone is protected, no one is protected. “There is still work to do to administer first doses to all the remaining people from the first four cohorts, as well as moving down the cohorts until everyone has at least been offered a jab, not to mention beginning the work of administering second doses," she said.
Labour's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “Ministers needed to lock in the gains of vaccination and introduce further measures to reduce the spread of the disease.” This included increased financial support for those who have to self-isolate, updated guidance on masks and help to make workplaces Covid secure.
