Department of Health and Social Care
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The most vulnerable and health and care workers offered COVID-19 jab as government hits target to protect those most at risk
Everyone most at risk from coronavirus has now been offered a vaccination, with more than 15 million jabs achieved in less than 10 weeks.
- The most vulnerable and those who care for them have been offered a COVID-19 vaccine as government target met on Sunday
- People in this group account for 88% of COVID-19 deaths
- Over a quarter of UK adult population have been vaccinated with first dose
As of Sunday 14 February, all care home residents and staff, health and social care workers, people aged 70 and over, and the clinically extremely vulnerable have been offered a vaccine. These groups account for 88% of deaths from COVID-19, meaning potentially tens of thousands of lives will be saved.
The health service across the UK has been working tirelessly to vaccinate those most at risk as quickly as possible after the government secured effective vaccines early and they passed stringent safety tests at the end of last year.
Since then the UK vaccination programme has accelerated with nearly 1,000 vaccines being administered a minute at one point and a record 598,389 first doses delivered in one day on 31 January.
More than 15.3 million people in the UK – more than a quarter of all adults – have now been vaccinated with their first dose.
The NHS is working hard to encourage the remaining people who have been offered a vaccine to come forward.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday said:
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 4 adults now starting to receive protection from this dreadful disease.
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.
Click here for the full press release
Original article link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-most-vulnerable-and-health-and-care-workers-offered-covid-19-jab-as-government-hits-target-to-protect-those-most-at-risk
