Everyone aged 50 is now being invited to book a coronavirus vaccination on the NHS website. It is hoped that over 50s will have been given at least one dose by the end of the month. This will put the NHS rollout two weeks ahead of schedule.
The BBC say that this has been made possible by a large shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute in India, which has arrived and passed safety checks. These bumper supplies mean Britain is far ahead of the schedule, with over-40s expected to start receiving invites next week.
The next stage of the vaccination programme is called ‘phase two’. As phase two is rolled out, people aged 40-49 will be the next in line to get a vaccine after all vulnerable groups and the over-50s are covered.
The target is to offer all UK adults the vaccine by the end of July. The priority order of vaccinations for phase two is:
- Everyone aged between 40 and 49
- Everyone aged between 30 and 39
- Everyone aged between 18 and 29
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary tweeted this morning (17.03.2021): ‘I’m delighted we are now expanding the rollout and inviting those aged 50 and over to book their jab. I’m determined no one should miss out on the chance to protect themselves and urge everyone who is eligible to come forward.’
Yesterday’s data showed that nearly 25 million people across the UK had received their first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
