IT’S V-day. Today people in all four nations of the UK are the first in the Western world to get a vaccine for Covid.
It’s an important step – one we’re taking together as one United Kingdom.
It’s the biggest vaccination programme in British history, something our NHS has been planning for months.
We’ve worked with every part of the UK to make sure the vaccine is shared out fairly and it will be free for everyone according to need.
The first people to get it will be our most vulnerable – starting with the over 80s.
Our frontline staff in our NHS and care homes also go to the front of the queue because we have a duty to keep our heroes safe.
The majority of those prioritised for receiving the jab are likely to get it in the new year; the NHS will get in touch when it’s your turn.
When that time comes, I’m asking you to do your duty and get the jab. It’s the best way, to protect yourself from coronavirus and protect your loved ones too.
If we get it right, when enough people get vaccinated we can start lifting those restrictions that have made this year so tough.
The more of us that get it, the quicker we can start lifting restrictions and get back to something like normal.
At the moment we have one authorised vaccine, but we’re working on more to come.
In total, we’ve bought 357 million doses of seven different Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of the whole of the UK.
It means we’ll be ready to hit the ground running if the medicines regulator, the MHRA, authorises more vaccines in the weeks and months ahead.
But it’s not job done – we all still have a massive role in giving our NHS the breathing space to do its job.
We have to keep following the rules where we are, and take those sensible steps that we know make a real difference: hands, face and space.
Today’s V-day is important because, no matter where you live in this country, help is on its way.
Just as we went into this pandemic together, we’ll get out of it together too – as one United Kingdom.
