NHS invites people aged 60 and over for jabs

NHS England has announced that it is now inviting those aged 60 to 63 to receive their coronavirus vaccination, continuing the progress of the NHS vaccination programme.

People aged 64 were invited to have a life-saving jab last week and 1.9 million letters have now started arriving at the homes of those aged 60 to 63 explaining how they can arrange a vaccination through the national booking service.

According to NHS England, nine out of 10 people aged 65 and over have now had their first coronavirus vaccine. NHS teams are visiting those who are housebound and cannot travel to a vaccination service.

Vaccinations are now being administered at more than 1,500 sites across the country, including mosques, museums and rugby grounds, with the distribution of centres meaning 98 per cent of the country lives within 10 miles of at least one vaccination service.

Professor Stephen Powis, the NHS’s national medical director, said: “In just a few months, the NHS has made extraordinary progress in vaccinating more than 17 million people across the country and it is incredible that more than nine out of 10 people aged 65 and over have already received potentially life-saving protection.

“It is down to the hard work of NHS staff, volunteers and all the others supporting the vaccination programme, that we can now invite everyone aged 60 to 63 years old to arrange an appointment to get jabbed as soon as possible. It is never too late to take up the offer and I would urge anyone eligible who has yet to do so to come forward and protect yourself and others.”