There can be no doubt that the UK vaccination programme has got off to a flying start:
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7.4 million people have now received their first dose
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90% of over 80s have now been vaccinated against Covid-19
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Only two other countries - the USA and China - have vaccinated more people, in total than the UK
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Only Israel and the United Arab Emirates have vaccinated more people per capita than the UK
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A new vaccine, Novavax has shown to be 89% effective against Covid-19 in clinical trials. 60m doses have already been ordered, and these will be manufactured in the UK.
We have administered more than four times as many vaccinations as Germany and - as you will have seen in the news this week - the EU vaccination programme is in chaos. New vaccine sites continue to open up every day, to ensure every community is within ten miles of a vaccination centre. Vaccinations are already available from more than 1000 GP-led surgeries, over 200 hospitals, and a growing network of large-scale NHS vaccination centres.
The government has announced an additional £23 million of funding to support efforts by councils and community groups to work with harder to reach groups. This will ensure they have the latest health advice about vaccines, tackling misinformation and boosting confidence in taking up the vaccine. Conservative and Labour MPs have made this video to allay concerns and encourage greater take-up within the BAME community.
The national vaccine programme is currently on course to have vaccinated everyone in the first four priority groups by mid-February.
If you have not yet heard about your vaccination, please do not worry - and please do not call your GP surgery. They will contact you to make an appointment.
