Vaccine news: How long will it take to vaccinate everyone in the UK?
Matt Hancock discusses possible coronavirus vaccine passports
UK vaccination programmes have established an efficient local strategy to inoculate vulnerable people. The process started in December when British authorities used EU legislation to approve the US-made Covid jab. Since then, health workers have delivered more than five million first doses.
How long will it take to vaccinate everyone in the UK?
The speed at which healthcare workers can vaccinate everyone depends on supply and population.
The UK has a total estimated population of 66.65 million people, according to ONS data from 2019.
The Government’s coveted vaccine strategy has delivered 5.4 million doses to people who fall within the UK’s “vulnerable” category.
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Totals include the elderly, health and care workers, which officials hope to have covered by February.
The current target is to have administered 15 million doses by then.
Once they have covered vulnerable cohorts, officials will decide where to go next, and likely continue to move down groups until everyone has their immunity.
Election Maps UK, a Twitter account dedicated to psephology – statistical study of elections and voting – broke down the latest vaccination figures.
The account, which analyses UK voter intentions, stated health workers could vaccinate every adult by autumn this year.
But this is ultimately subject to change, depending on the Government’s plans, and the day could come sooner.
They wrote: “We’ve now broken 2.5m doses a week (2.54m in the last 7 days).
“If we assume 90 percent of people end up taking the vaccine, we need 94.8m doses.
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“At 2.54m doses a week, every adult would receive both doses within 35 weeks (late Sep).”
The Government’s current figures only factor in first doses, however, as far fewer people have received the full regimen.
Recipients require two doses spaced weeks apart to gain the 90 to 95 percent touted effectiveness of the jab.
Figures from Friday show 466,796 people had received a second jab so far.
There also remains a question of supply, according to Matt Hancock.
The Government’s programme is dependent on what it can get, which will determine whether it speeds up or slows down in the future.
The health secretary warned supply is “challenging” in a speech to the House of Commons last week.
He said: “The manufacturers are working incredibly hard to deliver the supply as fast as possible, and I pay tribute to them and their work, but it is challenging and therefore it isn’t possible to give certainty as far out as many GPs and those delivering on the ground would like – because the worst thing would be to give false certainty.”
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