BRITAIN has given out more Covid jabs in three days than France during the entire pandemic with three-quarters of over-80s protected.
Matt Hancock today revealed more than five million Brits have received the Covid vaccine.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
And the Health Secretary said three quarters of vulnerable over-80s have now received their jab as the UK’s biggest vaccine rollout in history continues.
Mr Hancock told Sky’s Sophie Ridge on Sunday: “(This) is absolutely brilliant progress.
“Similar number of care homes, around three quarters and in fact we’ve vaccinated more people in just the last three days than France has in the entire history of this disease.”
Despite the good news, Mr Hancock warned it is still a “long, long, long way” before Covid cases are low enough for lockdown to be lifted.
He said “early evidence” shows the tough lockdown measures are finally starting to bring the number of new infections down but he warned the NHS remains under “enormous” pressure.
The Health Secretary added: “The NHS are doing an amazing job in incredibly difficult circumstances and so we, I am confident in the measures that we’ve got in place now.
“What really matters is that everybody follows them and the reason for that is not just the death toll each day which is far too high but also because the pressure on the NHS – including from people who thankfully come out of hospital alive – the pressure on the NHS is enormous and that has knock-on consequences for people who suffer from all other illnesses.
“So it is very, very important that we continue to follow the rules, that’s at the core of it even whilst we do everything we can to support the NHS through this.”
The MP spoke after he was forced to self-isolate days after he was spotted playing rugby with his his family in the park.
He said: “We should be worried enough, all of us, about this pandemic to follow the rules and it is just so important that people do.
“This morning I’ve come out of my formal self-isolation, I haven’t actually left the house yet because I haven’t needed to.”
The vaccine rollout yesterday hit a new daily record with 1.2million jabs doled out in the last three days.
And an incredible 425,596 Brits received the jab on Friday, in a huge boost to the government’s target of vaccinating 13.5million vulnerable people by mid-February.
Immunisation rates must stay at around 400,000 to meet the PM’s target, but earlier this week he insisted jabs were getting into arms “at an unprecedented rate”.
The jab race has been boosted by the opening of vaccine hubs, which will allow the NHS to dole out tens of thousands more doses daily.
Currently there are 17 hubs nationally — some at cathedrals and racecourses.
The Black Country Living Museum, famous as a set for TV hit Peaky Blinders, will open from Monday.
But the numbers pale in comparison to Israel, who currently leads the global vaccination race.
The country revealed this week they are already starting to give the jab to teenagers with 40 per cent of its population now vaccinated.
As of Friday, nearly 2.5 million people had received their first vaccine dose according to the health ministry.
Of those people, 900,000 had also received their second dose
Israel’s vaccine success is down to a 24/7 distribution scheme using military aid and extra doses being squeezed from each vial.
