The NHS has delivered more than one million Covid vaccines over the last week as the vaccination programme gets off to a roaring start.
Since national bookings began, the NHS has delivered 1.16 million Covid vaccines, helping protect the most vulnerable ahead of the always challenging winter period, with those in care homes among the first to receive their top-up jabs.
Additionally, 2,808,234 people have also received their flu jabs since the autumn campaign started on September 11, with many getting their Covid jabs at the same time.
Steve Russel, the Chief Delivery Officer and National Director for Vaccinations and Screening for NHS England, said: “It is a huge feat that we are off to such a flying start with our Covid and flu vaccination programme – more than one million people have received their Covid jab since we opened up bookings last week, and hundreds of thousands more are booked in to receive theirs this week.
“The NHS is once again pulling out all the stops to deliver lifesaving vaccinations, with staff working hard across more vaccine sites than ever before to ensure as many eligible people as possible receive vital protection ahead of the winter months.”
Covid cases are on the rise
The emergence of the new BA.2.86 Covid variant has caused the NHS to bring forward its vaccination programme as cases increase.
On 20 July, there were just over 1,000 Covid patients in the hospital. However, by the end of August, this figure increased to 2,500 and to 2,800 by 17 September.
Protecting the most vulnerable
With Covid infections increasing, the NHS has delivered Covid vaccines to 4,616 care homes so far to safeguard those most at risk from the disease.
The NHS also sent around 1.5 million invitations to vulnerable adults last week, such as those with underlying health conditions and people aged 65 and over, to get vaccinated.
So far, over one million Covid vaccination appointments have been booked through the NHS website, App, or by calling 119.
More than 30 million people in England are entitled to a free flu vaccine, with over 20 million able to get a Covid vaccine through the NHS Winter Vaccination Programme.
Eligible people include all aged 65 and over, care home residents, frontline health and social care staff, pregnant people, those with an underlying health condition, unpaid carers, and household contacts of people with a weakened immune system.
The NHS is urging those eligible to book their Covid vaccines as soon as possible to protect themselves this winter.
