Three in ten adults in East of England get first Covid vaccine dose with 1.55 million injected

  • Watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Rob Setchell


The government says it has hit its target of vaccinating the top four priority groups across the UK and more than 1.5 million people in the East of England have now been given their first jab.

A total of 51,630 were given their first injection in the East of England on Saturday and a further 22,493 on Sunday taking the regional total to 1,551,322. It represents 30.4% of the estimated population over 18 in the East having received a first dose.

Of that total, more than 60,000 have also had a second dose of vaccine meaning 1.2% of adults are fully vaccinated.

The government has prioritised giving as many people as possible the first dose of vaccine with the second dose due to be delivered within 12 weeks of the first. The vaccination programme started in early December so many more people would be due their second dose from early March onwards.

The top four priority groups included people over the age of 70, those who live and work in care homes and people were are clinically extreme vulnerable.

The vaccination rollout is now also targeting those aged over 65 and people with underlying health conditions which put them at greater risk of serious illness or dying from Covid-19.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is awaiting key data on how successfully vaccines reduce transmission Credit: David Cliff/NurPhoto/PA Images

Health Secretary and West Suffolk MP, Matt Hancock has said there is “some way to go” before lockdown is eased, as ministers are to begin reviewing coronavirus restrictions in England.

He stressed on Monday that the Government is awaiting key data on how successfully vaccines reduce transmission after more than 15 million people across the UK received their first dose of a vaccine.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the achievement – just over two months after the vaccination programme delivered its first jab – as a “significant milestone” in the fight against the disease.

The graph shows the number of people receiving their first dose of coronavirus vaccine each day in the East of England Credit: Data from NHS England

Downing Street has urged care home staff to get vaccinated after it emerged that around a third of social care staff have not received a coronavirus jab.

There is no official data published on how many health and social care staff have received a vaccine, including for staff in elderly care homes who look after one of the most vulnerable groups.

Matt Hancock said on Monday that the proportion is currently around two thirds of the social care workforce.

Mr Johnson has also pledged a "cautious but irreversible" approach to easing the lockdown and said no decisions have been made on whether all pupils can return to school at the same time.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to be "very prudent" as ministers begin reviewing coronavirus restrictions in England, while lockdown-sceptical Tory MPs pressure for a swift reopening.

Mr Johnson is preparing to set out his "road map" for relaxing measures on 22 February, with 8 March earmarked for schools to start reopening to all pupils.