South East Hits Over 410,000 Covid Jabs as Pharmacies Join Vaccine Push
The Government has revealed the latest vaccine figures across England — and the South East is punching well above its weight. Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage hailed the region after 411,257 vaccines were administered, including 348,863 first doses and 62,394 second shots.
South East Trails Just Behind Midlands and Yorkshire
The South East ranks third among the top vaccine hotspots. The Midlands leads with 447,329 doses, followed closely by North East and Yorkshire with 433,045 jabs given. Across the UK, over 3 million people have had at least one dose, putting Britain fourth globally in vaccinations per capita — behind Israel, UAE, and Bahrain. Notably, the UK tops Europe for total vaccinations administered.
MP Praises NHS Efforts and Urges Patience
“I am extremely pleased to hear that so many of our most vulnerable residents in the South East have received at least one jab to help protect them from COVID-19 just over a month after the first vaccine received approval from the MHRA,” Dinenage said.
“The vaccine plays an incredibly important part in shielding residents, reducing hospitalisations and relieving pressure off our NHS. I know that our NHS workers and volunteers are working incredibly hard to administer jabs as quickly and safely as possible and I would like to thank them again for their continued efforts.”
Pharmacies Roll Out Vaccines in Historic NHS Drive
From today, community pharmacies across the UK will begin delivering Covid vaccines to speed up the gargantuan NHS effort. Boots, Superdrug, and a clutch of independent stores lead the charge, with 200 more pharmacies expected to join in the next two weeks.
Dr Bruce Warner, Deputy Chief Pharmaceutical Officer: “The NHS coronavirus vaccination programme, the biggest in health service history, has got off to a great start with more than 2.4 million jabs delivered. Pharmacy teams have been working incredibly hard throughout the pandemic and, as we accelerate the vaccination programme, they are playing a vital role in delivering the life-saving jabs to those in their communities. We know that people are very keen to get the vaccine but we are appealing to people not to turn up early so that we can maintain social distancing.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock: “It is fantastic that high-street pharmacies will now begin deploying COVID-19 vaccinations. Pharmacies sit at the heart of local communities and will make a big difference to our rollout programme by providing even more local, convenient places for those that are eligible to get their jab.
Pharmacists have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, often acting as the first port of call for medical advice – and often staying open when all around have closed. I want to extend my thanks to every pharmacy for their efforts to support the national response to the pandemic and keep people safe.”
