When can over-18s get a Covid jab? Latest NHS announcement
THE UK's Covid vaccination programme has emerged as a runaway success, with under-30s and soon over-18s able to claim their jabs. When can over-18s get a Covid jab?
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Covid vaccinations recently passed the 70 million mark in the UK with combined first and second doses. While second doses are slightly behind at nearly 30 million to 41,698,429 first jabs, the promising progress ultimately suggests the country is on course for national immunity. And the next step for the NHS is covering the country's youngest adults.
When can over-18s get a Covid jab?
The NHS only recently extended the programme to cover under-30s.
People in the bracket could start booking vaccines last week, and many will have received theirs over the weekend.
The programme has now moved with breakneck speed to cover under-25s and soon over-18s.
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Outgoing NHS England chief Simon Stevens said he expects the age group could sign up for a jab "by the end of this week".
He told a conference organised annually by the NHS Confederation his goal is to "finish the job to the greatest extent possible" within the next month.
And Mr Stevens stressed more people aged over 40 and 50 still need to come forward and claim their second dose.
He said 91 percent of them had so far received their complete Covid vaccine dosage.
But this leaves 1.3 million people "for whom that opportunity stands".
Mr Stevens added: "For people in their 40s, we've got four and a half million people who have had one jab but not yet their second jab.
"Given the decision announced last night to begin offering that now after eight weeks rather than after 12, those second jabs for people in their 40’s and above is a crucial part of what the next month needs to look like in the run-up to July 19.”
The news for over-18s isn't all positive, as the NHS must now concentrate on new populations as infections increase.
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Officials want to expand the programme to catch younger people before the Delta Covid variant engulfs them.
Recent figures show the majority of those hospitalised with the infection fall into younger age groups.
The vaccine programme has caused infection distributions to "flip", Mr Stevens said.
Previously, over-60s had the highest hospitalisation rates per population.
Now, younger people account for 70 percent of hospitalisations.
England's vaccine programme must catch up to increasing cases of the Delta variant while the Prime Minister has suspended the Government's roadmap.
Mr Johnson has cited the July 19 unlock date as a "terminus", suggesting he would not want to impose another lockdown.
The Government announced it has "accelerated" the vaccine programme to cover as many people as possible by then.