All over-50s in England are now eligible for a Covid vaccine as NHS expands roll-out to final stage 

All over-50s in England are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, Matt Hancock confirmed today.

The Health Secretary said he was ‘delighted’ the roll-out was being expanded to the final age group. NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens added it was ‘another milestone’ reached in the race to beat the virus.

NHS England’s website for booking jab appointments now allows everyone ‘aged 50 and over’ to check-in. 

Once all 2.4million people in this age group — the last on No10’s priority list — have been offered a dose, over-40s will be invited. Estimates suggest the roll-out could move onto the next stage before the end of the month. 

The expansion comes exactly 100 days after Britain became the first country in the world to begin vaccinating the public against Covid. Grandmother Maggie Keenan received her first dose on December 8 in Coventry.

More than 24.8million Britons have already received their first dose of the Covid jab — and half of all adults are expected to be vaccinated by the end of the week. 

Britain is in a race to vaccinate as many people as possible before medics must start dishing out millions of second doses. Regulators widened the gap between doses to 12 weeks, paving the way for the UK to vaccinate millions more vulnerable residents. 

NHS England’s widening of the roll-out comes as doctors today claimed patients are cancelling appointments for their coronavirus vaccine because the EU’s mass revolt against AstraZeneca’s jab over unproven blood clot fears has scared them off. 

Mr Hancock will hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm today to update the country on the pace of the vaccine roll-out. He will also likely attempt to reassure the public about the safety of AstraZeneca’s jab.

The website has been updated to show that everyone aged 50 and over can get the Covid jab

More than 24.4million Britons have already received a first dose of the Covid vaccine

The Health Secretary said he was ‘delighted’ the roll-out was being expanded

PATIENTS ARE PAUSING COVID JAB APPOINTMENTS BECAUSE OF UNPROVEN BLOOD CLOT FEARS 

British patients are cancelling appointments for their coronavirus vaccine because the EU’s mass revolt against AstraZeneca’s jab over unproven blood clot fears has scared them off.

Doctors involved in the UK’s rollout say Brits due their second dose have called with concerns about the vaccine, despite the EU’s own drug regulator, as well as the UK’s and the World Health Organization all insisting it is safe.

One GP claimed up to 10 per cent of people scheduled for appointments were either not showing up, asking to cancel or double-checking which vaccine they were getting.

NHS doctor and volunteer Dr Karan Raj claimed he was ‘inundated’ with people saying they were worried about it and Dr Mohan Sekeram, a GP in South London, said the international row has led to patients refusing the vaccine.

The former chief of Britain’s vaccine regulator the MHRA, Sir Kent Woods, said European officials had ‘dented public confidence’ with their ‘disorderly’ reaction to the issue, and he described attempts to link the jab to clots as ‘a big jump’.

Doctors and officials warn that it is far more dangerous for people to not get vaccinated and even the EMA has urged people to keep taking the vaccine because blood clots aren’t actually any more common than usual.

Officials and scientists fear the knee-jerk reactions from Europe, which is now staring down the barrel of a third wave of Covid because of its own haphazard vaccination programme, risk derailing Britain’s attempts to vaccinate its way out of lockdown if people start to back out of getting their jabs.

Many Britons on the street yesterday said the row hadn’t put them off, calling it ‘scare-mongering’ and saying ‘the chances of getting hit by a bus are probably higher’ – but others said it had made them nervous about getting the jab or added to concerns they already had about its safety. 

It came as Dominic Cummings today launched a devastating attack on Mr Hancock, insisting the vaccine drive was only a success because he and science chief Patrick Valance insisted he was stripped of control. 

In an extraordinary assault, the maverick former No10 chief said the Department of Health was a ‘smoking ruin’ last spring after disasters over PPE procurement and therapeutics.

NHS England’s website for booking Covid vaccine appointments was updated this morning to say all clinics could now start offering doses to over-50s.

But a huge postcode lottery has emerged since England’s biggest ever vaccination drive began, with reports of healthy adults in their twenties getting the vaccine cropping up across the country. 

NHS officials say no-one under the age of 50 should be getting vaccinated, unless they have underlying health conditions that put them at risk or are a carer. 

Celebrating the expansion, Mr Hancock said: ‘I’m delighted we are now expanding the roll-out and inviting those aged 50 and over to book their jab.

‘I’m determined no one should miss out on the chance to protect themselves and urge everyone who is eligible to come forward.’

Sir Simon said: ‘Just 100 days since the NHS gave the world’s first Covid jab outside of clinical trials, our vaccine programme passes another milestone as we now invite everyone aged 50 and over to book their vaccination.’ 

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: ‘We are leading the way with our incredible vaccination programme and I’m delighted we are now expanding the roll out and inviting those aged 50-54 to book appointments.

‘Vaccines are the best way out of this terrible pandemic and the NHS is doing everything it can to protect those most at risk as quickly as possible.

‘We are on track to offer vaccines to all adults by the end of July and I urge everybody who is eligible to get their jabs to protect yourself and your loves ones.’

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) set out nine priority groups — including NHS workers, clinically vulnerable, over-50s and care home residents — who would be first to receive the jab.

Once these have all received their first dose, however, the drive will widen through an age-based approach, starting with the over-40s.

Wales started inviting over-50s for shots earlier this month, and Northern Ireland expanded its roll-out to the age group two days ago.

Scotland will start offering those in the 50-54 age group appointments from next week. 

MailOnline analysis earlier this week showed Britain should be able to move on to the under-50s by March 29 at the latest.

That estimate was based on a pace of 280,000 first doses a day.

But the roll-out has already began to pick up speed since then, following a massive boost in supply from AstraZeneca. 

And if the rollout manages to double in speed – as officials hope will happen — the under-50s target could be hit even earlier on March 20.

Ministers are aiming for at least 90 per cent of the adult population to take up the offer of a vaccine, equal to around 28.8million people in the top nine priority groups for vaccination.

If the current rate is maintained, Britain will reach 50 per cent of its adult population – 26million out of 52m – by the end of this week.

NHS leaders a fortnight ago urged vaccination centres to prepare for bumper deliveries in the second half of March after a lull at the end of February and the start of this month. 

It comes amid reports British patients are cancelling appointments for their Covid vaccines because the EU’s mass revolt against AstraZeneca‘s jab over unproven blood clot fears has scared them off.

Doctors involved in the UK’s rollout say Britons due their second dose have called with concerns about the vaccine, despite the EU’s own drug regulator, as well as the UK’s and the World Health Organization all insisting it is safe. 

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Health workers are afraid that Europe’s row over the safety of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine will have knock-on effects on people in Britain (Pictured: A man gets the jab in west London)

More than a dozen countries in Europe have stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine amid unproven concerns it is linked to blood clots

TOP SCIENTIST WARNS ‘PEOPLE ARE DYING’ DUE TO DELAY ADMINISTERING ASTRAZENCA JABS 

A top scientist who helped iron out Britain’s vaccines priority list has warned ‘people are dying’ because European countries have suspended the AstraZeneca jabs roll-out.

Professor Jeremy Brown – who sits on the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) – added the move by some EU members was ‘not sensible’ and ‘not logical’.

‘Many of these countries are going through a third wave, and by stopping using the vaccine they’re actually literally causing more problems,’ he told Good Morning Britain.

‘By not using the vaccine, this is going to directly lead to an increased incidence of Covid infection and people will die as a consequence of these decisions.’

He added: ‘There is the concern that what’s happening in Europe might make people in the UK less confident in the AstraZeneca vaccine, unnecessarily so, because it’s perfectly safe.’

Several EU countries have suspended the roll-out of the vaccine amid concern it may trigger blood clots in very rare cases.

But the EU’s regulator – the European Medicines Agency – and the World Health Organization have both insisted the jab is still safe to use.

Boris Johnson and UK scientists also leapt to its defence, saying it was safe and urged Britons to turn up for appointments.

 One GP claimed up to 10 per cent of people scheduled for appointments were either not showing up, asking to cancel or double-checking which vaccine they were getting. 

NHS doctor and volunteer Dr Karan Raj claimed he was ‘inundated’ with people saying they were worried about it and Dr Mohan Sekeram, a GP in South London, said the international row has led to patients refusing the vaccine. 

The former chief of Britain’s vaccine regulator the MHRA, Sir Kent Woods, said European officials had ‘dented public confidence’ with their ‘disorderly’ reaction to the issue, and he described attempts to link the jab to clots as ‘a big jump’.

Doctors and officials warn that it is far more dangerous for people to not get vaccinated and even the EMA has urged people to keep taking the vaccine because blood clots aren’t actually any more common than usual.

Officials and scientists fear the knee-jerk reactions from Europe, which is now staring down the barrel of a third wave of Covid because of its own haphazard vaccination programme, risk derailing Britain’s attempts to vaccinate its way out of lockdown if people start to back out of getting their jabs. 

But Britons on the street yesterday said the row hadn’t put them off, calling it ‘scare-mongering’ and saying ‘the chances of getting hit by a bus are probably higher’.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today urged people to keep getting the vaccine and said Britain must ‘keep calm and carry on jabbing’ if it wants to get life back to normal.

Dr Raj, who is an NHS surgeon and Imperial College London lecturer, said the hysteria in the EU was having a knock-on effect in the UK, particularly among younger people. 

‘I have been inundated in comments on my videos about people scared about the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots and worried about receiving first and second doses,’ he said.

‘They’ve seen the news from Europe about different countries suspending their vaccination and that has made them worried with some saying they won’t get a jab or will wait for a Pfizer one.

‘It’s one thing to have some sort of conspiracy that goes online and that becomes a vaccine myth which is worrying, but this is at a governmental, official level. Naturally people listen to this and are led more easily by these concerns because it’s at official level.

‘But the UK has delivered more of these jabs than the rest of Europe put together and hasn’t seen the concerns that have been highlighted in Europe so I thought it was the opportune moment to put out a video to emphasise that.’