One year on from the approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, figures show that 26,334 people in Worcester have now received their booster jab.
A year ago today, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use in the UK, allowing the life-saving vaccination programme to begin, starting with Margaret Keenan’s vaccination on 8 December.
The latest figures show that more than 115 million vaccine doses have been administered across the UK in almost a year – with nine in ten people aged 12 and over having received at least one dose of the vaccine – almost 51 million people – and eight in ten having received both vaccine doses – over 46 million people.
In Worcester 82.3% of those aged 12 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 75.5% have received at least two, and 29.9% have received a third.
One in three people in the UK have now received their booster jab more than any other country apart from the USA and China.
This week, as a precaution in light of the new Omicron variant, the Government has expanded the booster programme to all adults over 18 and announced that all eligible people will be offered a top-up jab by the end of January.
To speed up the vaccination programme, around 400 military personnel will be drafted in to support deployment, with 1,500 community pharmacy sites, additional hospital hubs, and pop-up sites opening in convenient locations across the country.
Commenting, Worcester MP Robin Walker said:
“It is thanks to the incredible effort and success of the Government’s vaccination programme that one year on 26,334 people in Worcester have received three Covid vaccine doses, which will offer life-saving protection to them and their loved ones this winter.
“One year on our historic vaccination programme is not over and we can all still do our bit this winter and stay ahead in the race against the virus.
“I was delighted to receive my booster earlier this week, and I encourage all those who have not yet come forward to take up the offer of a vaccine and protect the progress we have made against the virus to ensure that we can all enjoy Christmas safely with our loved ones.”
Commenting, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said:
“I’m incredibly proud of our phenomenal COVID-19 vaccination programme. In under a year, we have administered more than 115 million doses across the UK, saving countless lives and giving us a powerful weapon to fight this devastating virus.
“The battle is not yet over, and we are working around the clock to boost the booster programme even further to maximise immunity following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
“It is absolutely crucial everybody comes forward for their vaccines and booster jabs as soon as you are eligible so we can strengthen our wall of defence against COVID-19 and enjoy Christmas safely with our families and loved ones this year.”