UK, May 24 (BBC) – More than 60 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been given in the UK, the health secretary has announced.
There were 762,361 first or second jabs on Saturday, the second highest daily total of the rollout, and more than 22 million people have now had both doses.
It comes as a study found the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are highly effective after two doses against the variant identified in India.
The UK Health Security Agency’s head urged people to get their second dose.
Dr Jenny Harries said the study was the “first real-world evidence of vaccine effectiveness” against the variant and the “straightforward message” was for people to make sure they took up the offer of the second jab.
But speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, she urged the public to remain cautious to avoid another lockdown, warning of the threat from the Indian variant which has become the “dominant strain” in some parts of the country.
The latest government data shows 556,951 UK adults received a second jab on Saturday, meaning that 43% of the adult population – 22,643,417 people – have now been fully vaccinated.
Of them 205,410 were first doses, bringing the number of people to have had one dose to 37,943,681 people, or 72% of UK adults.
Only on 20 March, when 844,285 doses were administered, have more jabs been given on a single day. But Saturday’s second dose figure surpassed the previous highest daily total of 547,636 set on 24 April.
Another 2,235 new cases and five deaths within 28 days of a positive test have also been announced.
Public Health England, which ran the study into the two vaccines said they are likely to be even more effective at preventing hospital admission and deaths.
Some 13,000 deaths and 39,100 hospitalisations have been prevented in the UK due to the vaccination programme up to 9 May, according to PHE analysis.
