UK's vaccination programme expands to cover over 70s

London: Millions of people in the UK aged 70 and over and those clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 will be invited to get their vaccinations as the National Health Service (NHS) expands the rollout of the vaccines to the next priority groups from Monday.

The NHS has so far been working to vaccinate the first two priority cohorts recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which are care home residents and staff, and those aged 80 and over and frontline health and care staff.

Vaccinating these groups will remain the priority, but vaccination sites which have enough supply and capacity for vaccinating further people are allowed to offer vaccinations to the next two cohorts those aged 70 and over and clinically extremely vulnerable

people.

Today is a significant milestone in our vaccination programme as we open it up to millions of more people who are most at risk from COVID-19, said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

We are now delivering the vaccine at a rate of 140 jabs a minute and I want to thank everyone involved in this national effort. We have a long way to go and there will doubtless be challenges ahead but by working together we are making huge progress in our fight against this virus, he said.

The expansion means that areas that have already vaccinated the majority of care home residents, frontline health and care staff and people aged 80 and over to keep up the momentum and start vaccinating further at-risk people, helping the NHS to reach the government's commitment of offering vaccinations to the top four JCVI priority groups by the middle of February.

Now that more than half of all over-80s have had their jab, we can begin vaccinating the next most vulnerable

groups.