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What more than 15 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the launch will open to more people.
Government met its goal of offering a vaccine to its top four priority groups – the equivalent of 15 million people as of February 15 on Sunday.
There are around 67 million people in the UK, which means that just under a quarter of the population have received the first dose since the first was administered on December 8.
The milestone adds to the positive news on Friday when it was confirmed Covid-19’s breeding number, rate R, had fallen below 1 for the first time since July.
Who has been vaccinated so far?
People in the UK have been offered the first coronavirus to the top four priority groups vaccine doses, these are:
1. Nursing home residents and their carers: 800,000 people2. people over 80 years of age and front-line health and social care workers: 7.1 million people3. people aged 75 to 79: 2.3 million people4. people aged 70 to 74 and those considered “clinically extremely vulnerable”: 4.4 million people
the clinically extremely vulnerable includes those who:
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have had an organ transplant
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are receiving chemotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer
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you are receiving an intensive course of radiation therapy for lung cancer
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have cancer of the blood or bone marrow, for example leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma
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have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the past six months or are still taking immunosuppressive medications
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have cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, for example protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
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you have severe respiratory conditions, for example cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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have diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections, for example severe combined immunodeficiency and homozygous sickle cell anemia
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are on sufficient immunosuppression therapies to significantly increase the risk of infection
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have a problem with your spleen or your spleen has been removed
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are an adult with Down syndrome
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you are an adult who is on dialysis or has severe long-term kidney disease (stage 5)
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have severe heart disease and are pregnant
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any other person classified as clinically extremely vulnerable, as determined by GPs
The second dose of the jab can be delayed between four and 12 weeks. This means that people who get their vaccine today will get their second vaccine in May.
Who will be offered the next vaccine?
On Friday, the government announced that People aged 65-69 and those who are clinically vulnerable will be invited to reserve their jab..
The vaccine will now be rolled out in the following five priority groups:
5. people aged 65 to 69: 2.9 million people6. People aged 16 to 64 with underlying health problems that put them at higher risk of serious illness and death, considered “clinically vulnerable”, 7.3 million people7. people aged 60 to 64: 1.8 million people8. people aged 55 to 59: 2.4 million people9. people aged 50 to 54: 2.8 million people
the clinically vulnerable group includes those who:
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have a serious lung disease (such as severe asthma, COPD, emphysema, or bronchitis). Severe asthma is defined as those that require the continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations that require hospital admission.
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have heart disease (such as heart failure)
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has diabetes
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have chronic kidney disease (such as kidney failure)
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have a chronic liver disease (such as hepatitis)
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have a blood cancer (such as leukemia, lymphoma, or myeloma)
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has dementia
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have a disease that affects the brain or nerves (such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, or cerebral palsy)
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reduced immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid drugs, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy)
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have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or psoriasis (which may require long-term immunosuppressive treatments)
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have a condition that means they are at high risk for infections
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have had an organ transplant
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have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
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a problem with your spleen (such as sickle cell disease or celiac syndrome) or your spleen has been removed
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are very obese (a BMI of 40 or more)
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have a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia or bipolar illness)
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have a severe or profound learning disability
The clinically vulnerable group includes people with similar but less severe conditions compared to those in the clinically extremely vulnerable group.
The government plans that all of the nine major groups will be offered their first dose of the vaccine before May.
Some parts of the UK have already started vaccinating those over 65 after reaching all members of the four main priority groups.
In England, the Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group had already invited people over 65 to receive a vaccine, while some vaccinations have been administered in Shropshire, Coventry and Hampshire.
In Wales, Prime Minister Mark Drakeford said some over 50s have already started to be contacted. about vaccines.
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Matt Hancock tells ITV’s Good Morning Britain about the next steps for the launch of the Covid vaccine:
In Scotland, Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she expects many in the 65-69 age group to have received their first vaccination by the middle of this month.
In Northern Ireland, people between the ages of 65 and 69 have been able to book a Covid-19 vaccine at seven regional centers since the end of January.
Although the impact of the vaccination program will not be immediately felt on the NHS, it has been estimated that vaccinating the top nine priority groups with the vaccine will reduce deaths by up to 99%.
How many people will have had the jab after the second phase?
In the second phase of the launch, an additional 17 million people will receive the jab, all those in priority groups 5 to 9.
This means that by the end of the second phase, the vaccine should have been offered to 32 million people, almost half of the UK population.
What about key workers and other adults?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) has yet to establish plans for key workers. He hopes to make recommendations for future plans by the end of the month.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised that all UK adults will be offered the Covid vaccine in the autumn.
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Can I meet other people after receiving the jab?
Not yet. It takes time for the body to build immunity after the jab, and getting the second jab is important to get full protection.
Also, it is not yet known whether vaccines can prevent people from transmitting the virus. And there are questions about how protective they are against new variants.
What should I do if I haven’t received an offer for the jab yet, despite being in the top nine priority groups?
You can book through the website www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination
Or you can call 119.
