People aged 37 and over can book their Covid vaccine from Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed.
Speaking in the Commons amid concerns about the more transmissible India variant of the disease, Hancock said people taking up their offer of a vaccine “will help us all get out of this pandemic”.
The minister told journalists on Sunday that the NHS would be working its way through the age cohorts, with everyone aged 35 and over expected to be offered the jab this week.
The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed in a press release that people aged 36 and over will be invited for a jab from Wednesday.
People in these age groups can expect to receive a text message inviting them to book an appointment.
“The data suggests that the vaccine has already saved over 12,000 lives and prevented over 33,000 people from being hospitalised,” he said.
“We are protecting people at a very rapid pace. Last week was the biggest week of vaccinations since the end of March. 36 million people have now had a first dose and yesterday we reached the milestone of 20 million people having had their second dose across the UK.
“I am delighted to see the figures released by YouGov today which show that the UK has the highest vaccination enthusiasm in the world – with 90% of people saying that they have had or will have the jab.”
He told MPs that, while it was “heartening” that many people had signed up for a jab, some people who had fallen ill with the India variant of Covid had been eligible for a vaccine but did not take it.
The variant has spread in Blackburn, Bolton and Bedford.
He said: “It has been really heartening, I am sure the whole House will agree, to see the videos that have been published over the weekend of people queuing up to get the jab.
“To anyone who feels hesitant, not just in Bolton or Blackburn, but to anyone who feels hesitant about getting the vaccine right across the country, just look at what is happening in Bolton Hospital where the majority of people in hospital with coronavirus were eligible for the jab but have chosen not yet to have the jab and have ended up in hospital – some of them in intensive care.
“Vaccines save lives, they protect you, they protect your loved ones and they will help us all get out of this pandemic.”
Hancock also confirmed surge testing will take place in Bedford after a rise in Indian variant cases of coronavirus.
He told the Commons: “There are now 86 local authorities where there are five or more confirmed cases.
“The next biggest case of concern is Bedford where we are surging testing – and I would urge everybody in Bedford to exercise caution and engage in testing where it is available.”
Informing MPs of the latest scientific assessment on the Indian variant, the health secretary said that the India variant was more transmissible than the Kent variant.
He said the vaccines were still effective, however, adding: “While we also don’t have the complete picture on the impact of the vaccine, the early laboratory data from Oxford University corroborates the evidence from Bolton Hospital and the initial observational data from India that vaccines are effective against this variant.”
He added that while this is “reassuring”, the higher transmission rate “poses a real risk”.
