Anyone in England aged over 70 who has not been invited to receive a coronavirus vaccine should now contact the NHS to make an appointment, Matt Hancock has announced, in a change to the government’s tactics.
The health secretary issued the call at a Downing Street press conference, where he revealed that 91 per cent of over-80s, 95 per cent of people aged 75 to 79 and almost three-quarters of those aged between 70-74 have now received their first Covid-19 jab.
The NHS has previously appealed to over-70s to wait for an invitation to be vaccinated, to avoid hospitals and clinics being overwhelmed with phone calls.
But Mr Hancock said that the procedure was now being changed to try to make sure that as many as possible of the most vulnerable people are protected as the government approaches its 15 February deadline to vaccinate the over-70s, health and care staff and those with certain underlying health issues.
This also offers a second chance for those who have turned down the jab to change their minds and get inoculated.
Mr Hancock said he was “thrilled” at the high take-up of the vaccine among over-70s, declaring: “We are turning a corner in our battle against coronavirus.”
But he added: “We’re not going to rest until all those who are vulnerable have been protected.
“So the NHS and local authorities and the teams working with them are doing everything they can to reach the remaining people in these at-risk groups. And we’ll keep on searching for those final few per cent, even as we expand the offer of a vaccine to younger age groups.”
Mr Hancock said the government was “on track” to meet its 15 February target of offering the vaccine to priority groups one to four, before moving on to the next phase, in which all over-50s should be protected by 1 May.
“The NHS has worked hard to contact everyone in groups one to four, but we want to be certain,” he said.
“So from today, I have a message for everyone aged 70 and above.
“Until now, we’ve said please wait for the NHS to contact you. But now that message is changing.
“If you live in England and are 70 and over and have not yet an appointment to be vaccinated, then please contact the NHS.
“If you’re in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, we are also on track, working together, to meet the goal by 15 February and your local health teams will be in touch.”
Over-70s can book their appointments using the website www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or those unable to get online can call 119 or phone their GP practice.
Health and social care workers, who are also among the top four priority groups for vaccination, should speak to their employer about arranging their jab.
And GP teams have been asked to contact their clinically extremely vulnerable patients.
The NHS has also urged people who have been given two jab slots to cancel one so the slot can be used by someone else.
This might occur if a patient’s GP surgery books an appointment as well as the national booking service.
So far 12 million people across the UK have received a Covid-19 inoculation.
Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and a practising GP, said: “The NHS vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, is off to a strong start with every eligible care home receiving a visit and millions more people being vaccinated at one of over 1,500 centres across the country thanks to the tireless efforts of my colleagues.
“But if you are aged 70 and over, and haven’t yet received your vaccine, please come forward and make an appointment as soon as you can.
“The vaccine is safe, simple, and will offer you and those around you crucial protection against this virus.”
