By Ian Jones, PA
A third of UK adults are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, latest figures have shown.
A total of 17,669,379 people have received both jabs – the equivalent of 33.5% of all people aged 18 and over.
England and Northern Ireland are both estimated to have given two doses to 33.6% of their adult population, slightly ahead of Wales (33.4%) and Scotland (33.1%).
Responding to the figures for England, Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and medical director for primary care at NHS England, said: “Yet another incredible NHS milestone has been reached as one in three adults in England have now had both doses of the Covid vaccine – meaning that they have maximum protection from the virus.
“Reaching this milestone is no accident – it is down to months of hard work and everyone in the NHS who has played a role in this is helping to protect millions of people from serious illness and saving lives.”
Meanwhile, 35,371,669 people in the UK have now received a first dose of vaccine – the equivalent of 67.2% of the adult population.
Wales has given a first dose to 76.2% of its adult population, ahead of Northern Ireland (66.9%), England (66.8%) and Scotland (65.4%).
All figures are based on the latest data for vaccinations reported by the UK’s health agencies.