London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Dec 04, 2025

Covid-19: More than 75% of UK adults now double-jabbed

Covid-19: More than 75% of UK adults now double-jabbed

More than 75% of UK adults have now received two Covid jabs, the government has said.

A total of 39,688,566 people have now received both doses, while another 7 million have only had a single dose, according to the latest figures.

Boris Johnson described the milestone in the vaccine rollout as a "huge national achievement".

But Oxford Vaccine Group director Prof Sir Andrew Pollard has warned that herd immunity is "not a possibility".

Margaret Keenan became the first person to be vaccinated as part of the UK rollout on 8 December.

Since then more there have been more than 86.7 million vaccinations delivered, with people receiving their jabs everywhere from sports stadiums to circuses.

At the peak of the rollout more than 752,000 jabs were given in a day on 20 March, although the rate has since slowed.

The UK reached the milestone of getting 50% of adults double jabbed on 3 June and 25% of adults had received both doses by 27 April.

A further 32,250 first doses and 137,028 second doses were given across the UK on Monday.

The latest data also shows there were 23,510 new cases of Covid as well as a further 146 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test.

The prime minister hailed the "incredible vaccine rollout" and said it had provided vital protection against the virus for three-quarters of adults.

"It's so important that those who haven't been vaccinated come forward as soon as possible to book their jab - to protect themselves, protect their loved ones and allow us all to enjoy our freedoms safely," he said.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the vaccines were "allowing us to reconnect with the things we love", while vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said it had been "phenomenal to see first-hand the enthusiasm of the British public for the vaccines".

But Sir Andrew told MPs the idea of herd immunity was "mythical" with the Delta variant, now dominant in the UK, still infecting people who had been vaccinated.

He said while vaccines might "slow the process" of transmission down, they currently cannot stop the spread completely.

Earlier Mr Javid said that plans are in place to give the most vulnerable groups a third or booster Covid jab in September.

This has been criticised, with Sir Andrew telling the All Party Parliamentary Group on coronavirus that any spare jabs should "go where they can have the greatest impact" to protect unvaccinated people abroad.

The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University suggests that around 60,000 UK deaths and 22 million infections had been prevented by vaccines so far, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

The government said two doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines provided over 90% protection against hospitalisation from the Delta variant, which is now dominant in the UK.


All adults in the UK will have been offered the chance to have both doses by mid-September, the DHSC said.

Ministers will be watching the second dose figure to see how close it edges to 100% in the weeks ahead.

The government has already announced that by the end of September, people in England will require full vaccination status to go to nightclubs and some other events with large crowds.

And from next Monday double vaccinated people will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive Covid case.


The UK vaccine rollout began with people aged 80 and over as well as some health and care staff before moving to those at higher risk of illness from Covid and down through age groups.

Last week children aged 16 and 17 began to be invited for their jabs following a change in advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

NHS England said nearly 16,000 16 and 17-year-olds had already received their vaccine over the weekend.

Some children aged 12 and over who are at a higher risk of serious illness from Covid, or live with immunosuppressed adults, will be contacted about vaccines in coming weeks.


Sajid Javid expects booster vaccines to start being rolled out from 'early September'

Margaret Keenan was given the vaccine by May Parsons, at University Hospital in Coventry


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
India backs down on plan to mandate government “Sanchar Saathi” app on all smartphones
King Charles Welcomes German President Steinmeier to UK in First State Visit by Berlin in 27 Years
UK Plans Major Cutback to Jury Trials as Crown Court Backlog Nears 80,000
UK Government to Significantly Limit Jury Trials in England and Wales
U.S. and U.K. Seal Drug-Pricing Deal: Britain Agrees to Pay More, U.S. Lifts Tariffs
UK Postpones Decision Yet Again on China’s Proposed Mega-Embassy in London
Head of UK Budget Watchdog Resigns After Premature Leak of Reeves’ Budget Report
Car-sharing giant Zipcar to exit UK market by end of 2025
Reports of Widespread Drone Deployment Raise Privacy and Security Questions in the UK
UK Signals Security Concerns Over China While Pursuing Stronger Trade Links
Google warns of AI “irrationality” just as Gemini 3 launch rattles markets
Top Consultancies Freeze Starting Salaries as AI Threatens ‘Pyramid’ Model
Macron Says Washington Pressuring EU to Delay Enforcement of Digital-Regulation Probes Against Meta, TikTok and X
UK’s DragonFire Laser Downs High-Speed Drones as £316m Deal Speeds Naval Deployment
UK Chancellor Rejects Claims She Misled Public on Fiscal Outlook Ahead of Budget
Starmer Defends Autumn Budget as Finance Chief Faces Accusations of Misleading Public Finances
EU Firms Struggle with 3,000-Hour Paperwork Load — While Automakers Fear De Facto 2030 Petrol Car Ban
White House launches ‘Hall of Shame’ site to publicly condemn media outlets for alleged bias
UK Budget’s New EV Mileage Tax Undercuts Case for Plug-In Hybrids
UK Government Launches National Inquiry into ‘Grooming Gangs’ After US Warning and Rising Public Outcry
Taylor Swift Extends U.K. Chart Reign as ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ Hits Six Weeks at No. 1
250 Still Missing in the Massive Fire, 94 Killed. One Day After the Disaster: Survivor Rescued on the 16th Floor
Trump: National Guard Soldier Who Was Shot in Washington Has Died; Second Soldier Fighting for His Life
UK Chancellor Reeves Defends Tax Rises as Essential to Reduce Child Poverty and Stabilise Public Finances
No Evidence Found for Claim That UK Schools Are Shifting to Teaching American English
European Powers Urge Israel to Halt West Bank Settler Violence Amid Surge in Attacks
"I Would Have Given Her a Kidney": She Lent Bezos’s Ex-Wife $1,000 — and Received Millions in Return
European States Approve First-ever Military-Grade Surveillance Network via ESA
UK to Slash Key Pension Tax Perk, Targeting High Earners Under New Budget
UK Government Announces £150 Annual Cut to Household Energy Bills Through Levy Reforms
UK Court Hears Challenge to Ban on Palestine Action as Critics Decry Heavy-Handed Measures
Investors Rush Into UK Gilts and Sterling After Budget Eases Fiscal Concerns
UK to Raise Online Betting Taxes by £1.1 Billion Under New Budget — Firms Warn of Fallout
Lamine Yamal? The ‘Heir to Messi’ Lost to Barcelona — and the Kingdom Is in a Frenzy
Warner Music Group Drops Suit Against Suno, Launches Licensed AI-Music Deal
HP to Cut up to 6,000 Jobs Globally as It Ramps Up AI Integration
MediaWorld Sold iPad Air for €15 — Then Asked Customers to Return Them or Pay More
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer Promises ‘Full-Time’ Education for All Children as School Attendance Slips
UK Extends Sugar Tax to Sweetened Milkshakes and Lattes in 2028 Health Push
UK Government Backs £49 Billion Plan for Heathrow Third Runway and Expansion
UK Gambling Firms Report £1bn Surge in Annual Profits as Pressure Mounts for Higher Betting Taxes
UK Shares Advance Ahead of Budget as Financials and Consumer Staples Lead Gains
Domino’s UK CEO Andrew Rennie Steps Down Amid Strategic Reset
UK Economy Stalls as Reeves Faces First Budget Test
UK Economy’s Weak Start Adds Pressure on Prime Minister Starmer
UK Government Acknowledges Billionaire Exodus Amid Tax Rise Concerns
UK Budget 2025: Markets Brace as Chancellor Faces Fiscal Tightrope
UK Unveils Strategic Plan to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains
UK Taskforce Calls for Radical Reset of Nuclear Regulation to Cut Costs and Accelerate Build
UK Government Launches Consultation on Major Overhaul of Settlement Rules
×