Every Briton can be double-jabbed by mid-September, says UK health department

MORE than 80 million Covid-19 vaccines have been administered across the UK, the Department of health and social care declared on Friday (9), adding that every Briton now has a chance to be double-jabbed by mid-September.

About 86.8 per cent of Britons have received the first dose while 65.3 per cent of the adult UK population is now double-jabbed, as per the latest figures. A total of 80,072,121 doses that have been administered across the country also includes more than half (54 per cent) of young people aged 18 to 24 who have received a first dose - just three weeks after the programme was opened to this age group.

The department also said that with vaccine dose interval now reduced from 12 to eight week as per recent announcements, every Briton now has a chance to be double-jabbed by mid-September.

The news follows the government’s announcement that from July 19, people who have been vaccinated with both doses will not have to quarantine on their return to England from amber list countries.

The legal requirement to self-isolate for coming in close contact with a positive Covid-19 case is also set to be scrapped from August 16.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We have now delivered over 80 million vaccine doses across the UK - this a phenomenal achievement. Thank you to everyone who has come forward for their jab. It is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones”

Analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 8.5 million infections and 30,000 deaths in England alone.

Data from PHE shows COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. 

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “This is an astonishing accomplishment – in around seven months the NHS in every corner of the country has administered 80 million vaccines.”

“The success is down to the incredible dedication of NHS staff, GPs, pharmacists, volunteers, local authorities, civil servants and the armed forces – the country applauds your commitment to saving lives."

Revealing that the UK government had secured access to more than 500 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines early on behalf of the entire UK, the department said that the medicine’s regulator, the MHRA, was the first in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, allowing the rapid deployment of vaccines across the country.