UK says 10 million people have received coronavirus vaccine

“It’s fantastic that 10 million people in the UK have got their first dose of the vaccine,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet. “Thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible.”

Ten million people in the UK have been given coronavirus vaccine, as the government’s program to immunize the most vulnerable groups makes rapid progress.

Volunteers talk with residents while going door-to-door with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) home test kits in an effort to halt the new SARS-CoV-2 variant's spread, in Ealing, West London, Britain. (Reuters)

The milestone puts the country on track to provide shots to 15 million citizens and carers at greatest risk from the disease by Feb. 15, potentially paving the way for ministers to begin easing lockdown restrictions.

“It’s fantastic that 10 million people in the UK have got their first dose of the vaccine,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet. “Thank you to everyone who has helped make this possible.”

The rapid roll out of coronavirus vaccines is a rare bright spot for the UK government in its handling of the pandemic, which has left more than 100,000 people dead and caused the deepest recession for more than 300 years.

Infections

The country is a month into its third national lockdown, and while death rates and hospitalization numbers have declined in recent days, medics are still battling high levels of infections.

Johnson is under mounting pressure to ease restrictions from lockdown skeptics in his own party who fear shutting up businesses and schools will inflict lasting scars on the economy and society. News that vaccines are effective at cutting transmission of the disease has fueled their argument.

“With better and better news by the day on the vaccination roll out and its effectiveness, the government has got to start addressing its mind to the harms caused by the measures we’re putting in place,” said Mark Harper, chairman of the so-called Covid Recovery Group of Conservative members of Parliament. “Lockdowns and restrictions cause immense damage to people’s health and livelihoods and we need to lift them as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Johnson has promised to review the pandemic response after the priority groups have been given vaccines and said he will publish a roadmap in the week of Feb. 22 for lifting lockdown. Schools will be the first facilities to reopen in England, starting no earlier than March 8 under the government’s plans.