'Amazing' day hailed as UK hits 15 million Covid vaccination target

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi announced the milestone today, Sunday, February 14, after the most vulnerable across the country had received an initial dose of a Covid vaccine.

He tweeted: “15,000,000! Amazing team.

"We will not rest till we offer the vaccine to the whole of phase 1 the 1-9 categories of the most vulnerable & all over 50s by end April and then all adults.”

The Government had set a target of offering the vaccine to its top four priority groups in the UK by tomorrow, Monday, February 15.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “Hitting this milestone just 10 weeks after the NHS made history by delivering the first Covid vaccination outside of a clinical trial is a remarkable shared achievement.

“The NHS vaccination programme is the biggest and fastest in Europe – and in the health service’s history – and that is down to the skill, care, and downright hard work of our fantastic staff, supported by local communities, volunteers and the armed forces.

“On behalf of the whole country it's right to mark this successful first phase with a huge thank you to everyone involved in this extraordinary team effort.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the fact that many people in the UK have now had a first jab was a “significant milestone” and thanked all those involved in the rollout, as well as those who had been given the treatment.

He said: “Over two months this country has achieved an extraordinary feat, administering a total of 15 million jabs into the arms of the most vulnerable people in the country.”

He added: “It has been a truly national, UK-wide effort. We have done it together.”

He urged anyone eligible for a jab who had yet to come forward to do so.

He said: “In England, I can now tell you we have now offered jabs to everyone in the first four priority groups, the people most likely to be severely ill with coronavirus, hitting the first target we set ourselves.”

He added: “We’ve still got a long way to go and there will undoubtedly be bumps in the road.

"But after all we’ve achieved, I know we can go forward with great confidence.”

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