A MILLION more people in England will be able to get their Covid vaccine as the age limit has dropped once again.
The NHS will be inviting people in their early thirties for a life-saving jab from today at 7am.
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Texts inviting people to book a vaccination will be sent from “NHSvaccine” to those aged 33 from Saturday, and those aged 32 from Monday.
It means 1.1 million more people will be able to book their jab online or by phoning 119 in the next couple of days.
The expansion of eligibility in the third in just one week, with those in their mid-to-late thirties invited earlier this week.
And it comes as data to be published today shows the NHS has now delivered more than 50 million total doses of the Covid jab in England.
For the UK, it’s nearing 60 million.
More than four in 10 adults in England and the UK have had both doses, and seven in 10 have had one.
The Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Only days after we extended the offer of a vaccine to 34 and 35 year olds, we are now rolling out the invite to 32 and 33 year olds – an incredible step forward in the biggest and most successful vaccination programme in NHS history.
“This is truly a testament to the heroic work of our amazing NHS and care staff, volunteers and local authorities across the country… keeping us on track to offer a vaccine to everyone by July.
“The vaccine has already saved thousands of lives and you are far less likely to get symptoms or be admitted to hospital if you get the jab.
“Please come forward when you get the offer and join the millions of others who are now protected from this terrible virus.”
NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “Today, the biggest NHS vaccination programme in history hits another milestone as we pass 50 million life-saving jabs delivered across England.”
The NHS began jabbing people in the general population under 50 at a slow pace from April.
Already over four fifths of those in their forties, and half of people aged 35 to 39, have had their first dose.
Everyone under 40 will not be offered an AstraZeneca vaccine due to linked rare blood clotting cases being seen mostly in younger people.
The NHS is urging everyone who is eligible to take up the offer of a jab at one of the 1,600 convenient locations across the country.
GP and national medical director for primary care Dr Nikki Kanani said the offer “doesn’t go away”, as she urged those who have changed their mind or forgotten to book.
“It is safe, effective and will protect you and those around you.”
It comes as people aged 50 and over and the clinically vulnerable are having their second doses brought forward.
This is to help counter the spread of the Indian variant, which is growing rapidly in the UK.
