- More than 10 million people in the UK vaccinated with a second dose of a COVID-19 jag
- Almost one in five adults in the UK have now received both doses
- People urged to take up their second doses to maximise protection
Over 10 million people in the UK have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Health services across the UK have now administered a total of 43,084,487 million vaccines between 8 December and 18 April, including 32,932,448 million people with their first dose and 10,152,039 million with their second.
The milestone means over 19% of all UK adults have received both vaccines.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Vaccines offer us the best possible protection from the virus, so it is fantastic that 10 million people have now received their second dose.
This is another remarkable milestone in our vaccination programme, which has already saved thousands of lives.
“I want to thank the brilliant staff and volunteers involved in the rollout, and urge all those who are called to keep coming forward.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is another terrific milestone, meaning over ten million people who are the most vulnerable to COVID in the UK now have double protection from this awful virus.
“Second doses are crucial to maximising the strength and duration of your protection from COVID-19 and I’m urging everybody eligible to get their jab as soon as possible.
“This milestone is thanks to the dedication and tireless efforts of our NHS workers, volunteers, civil servants and everybody working on the frontline to save lives and stop this virus in its tracks.”
The government has already hit its target of offering everybody in cohorts 1 to 9 – those aged 50 and over, the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers – a first dose of the vaccine by 15 April and remains on track to offer a jab to all adults by the end of July.
Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Vaccines have already saved more than 10,000 lives and they are the best way to protect you and your loved ones from this dreadful disease.
“We want to send this virus into retreat. No matter who you are, where you live, your race or your religion, I encourage everyone to get both doses when offered and help this country return life to normal.”
All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality. Rolling reviews are underway by the MHRA to assess the Janssen and Novavax vaccines.
The speed and breadth of the UK vaccination programme means even more people will soon develop strong protection from serious illness from COVID-19 infection, saving countless lives and significantly reducing pressure on the NHS.
Data from Public Health England’s real-world study shows the vaccines are already having a significant impact in the UK, reducing hospitalisations and deaths, saving more than 10,000 lives between December and March.
Approved vaccines are available from thousands of NHS vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies. Around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination centre in England and vaccinations are taking place at sites including mosques, community centres and football stadiums.
The latest UK-wide vaccination statistics are published here.
PHE’s real-world data on the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines is available here.
Through the government’s Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 457 million doses of eight of the most promising vaccine candidates, including:
- BioNTech/Pfizer for 40 million doses
- Oxford/AstraZeneca for 100 million doses
- Moderna for 17 million doses
- Janssen for 30 million doses
- Novavax for 60 million doses
- Valneva for 100 million doses
- GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur for 60 million doses
- CureVac for 50 million doses
To date, the government has invested over £300 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine to enable a rapid roll out.
The UK government is committed to supporting equitable access to vaccines worldwide. The UK is the largest donor to the COVAX facility, the global mechanism to help developing countries access a coronavirus vaccine, and has committed £548 million in UK aid to help distribute 1.3 billion doses of coronavirus vaccines to 92 developing countries this year.
24
0
20
