Life-saving Vaccination Programme To Hit More Major Milestones

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock to acknowledge success of UK’s biggest vaccine drive in history at G7 meeting of Health Ministers this week.

New approved Janssen jab boosts armoury in helping to defeat global pandemic

Three quarters of UK adults expected to have had first dose of a vaccine this week as UK set to hit another vital milestone

The outstanding success of the UK’s rollout of life-saving vaccines in its fight against COVID-19 continues to take significant strides with another new jab authorised and major milestones expected to be hit next week.

On Thursday, G7 Health Ministers will gather ahead of the leader’s summit where the Health Secretary will praise the fantastic efforts of the NHS, volunteers and scientists over the last year in developing and rolling out the vaccine programme at pace.

Next week, it is expected that three quarters of adults will have received their first dose and almost half of all adults will have had their second dose of a vaccine. The UK remains on track to offer the vaccine to all adults by the end of July.

More than 13,000 lives have been saved so far thanks to the vaccines, reinforcing the importance of taking up the offer of a first and second dose when invited.

The G7 Health Ministers’ summit follows the announcement that Janssen’s single-dose COVID-19 vaccine has been authorised for use by the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA. This is yet another weapon in the UK’s fight against the pandemic. Earlier this year, the Janssen vaccine was shown to be 67% effective overall in preventing COVID-19 infection and 85% effective in preventing severe disease or hospitalisation.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

"Vaccines are saving lives, are safe, effective and our way out of this devastating global pandemic. The rollout continues at pace and we are making fantastic progress.

"I cannot express my thanks enough to every single person involved in making the vaccine programme such an astounding success. Whether it’s researchers behind the science, volunteers valiantly taking part in trials, the NHS rolling out the jabs or the public playing their part to help bring cases down and protect themselves and their loved ones by following the guidance – this really has shown the best of what the British can do.

"We are seeing encouraging research of the vaccines’ efficacy against variants, so when you get the call, get the jab.

Every week brings with it a new milestone, and recently the NHS invited everyone aged over 30 in England to receive the vaccine, and more than 60 million doses have now been administered overall."

As the data shows, take up of the vaccine has seen extremely encouraging levels, with NHS England announcing the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme has jabbed more than half of people in their 30s in just over a fortnight.

More than five million appointments have been made and 53% of people aged 30-39 have received at least one dose since the programme began opening up to the age group on May 13.

With such huge levels of support and vaccine take-up from the public, there are now over 500,000 people signed up to the Vaccine Research Registry, a register of individuals who are ready and willing to take part in large scale clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines.

The government has also invested £19.3 million into the Cov-Boost study, led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, to trial seven vaccines to inform plans for a booster programme.