London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 24, 2026

Covid vaccine: Over-70s urged to get vaccine as UK nears target

Covid vaccine: Over-70s urged to get vaccine as UK nears target

People aged 70 or over who have not yet had a Covid jab are being urged to come forward, in a final push by ministers to meet their vaccination target.

More than 14 million people in the UK have had at least one dose - with the aim being 15 million by Monday.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the UK could this year live with Covid "like we do with flu".

"I hope that Covid-19 will become a treatable disease by the end of the year," he told the Daily Telegraph.

Over the weekend, ministers are taking part in a renewed drive to encourage people in the top four priority groups - comprising people aged 70 and over, front-line health and social care workers, care home residents and the clinically extremely vulnerable - to get vaccinated.

The government is aiming to offer a vaccine to 15 million people in these priority groups by 15 February - which would cover 88% of those most at risk of dying from Covid-19.

On Friday, Wales said it was the first UK nation to meet the target.

Across the UK, a quarter of adults have already received one dose of a Covid vaccine, including around nine in 10 of all over 70s.


People aged 70 or over in England have already been asked to contact the NHS to arrange their jab. They can book an appointment online, or by calling 119 or contacting their local GP.

Health and social care workers should speak to their employer if they have not had their vaccine yet, the Department for Health said.

And GP teams have been asked to contact their clinically extremely vulnerable patients to make sure they have been offered a jab.


Almost 30 government ministers are taking part in visits and virtual meetings across the UK in a further push to encourage everyone eligible for the jab to get vaccinated.

They will hear from NHS staff and volunteers helping with the rollout, as well as people getting the vaccine.

Mr Hancock said: "I am determined that we protect as many of our country's most vulnerable people from this awful disease as soon as possible."

"Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic and it is testament to the strength of our Union and the combined power of our United Kingdom that we've seen such incredible progress in the roll out of our vaccination programme," he added.

Prof Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said the UK's vaccination programme was "off to a strong start".

"People in the priority groups have not missed their chance to get jabbed and if you are aged 70 and over and haven't yet taken up the offer, please do come forward and make an appointment," he said.

The government has also published a new plan to help boost vaccine uptake in all communities, including those who may feel more hesitant about getting a jab.

The plan aims to raise awareness of how the NHS is making vaccination available to all, especially ethnic minorities, homeless people, asylum seekers and those with disabilities.

It highlights successful examples of community-led engagement which other areas could replicate, including a mobile vaccination service in Crawley to help reach those who are housebound and the use of social media resources to dispel vaccine myths in Slough.

From next week, details of who will be vaccinated in the next phase of the programme involving the over-50s and people with underlying health conditions will be set out. They are due to be vaccinated by May.

Some regions of the UK have already begun inviting the over-60s, who are part of the next phase, to be vaccinated.

On Friday, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the number of Covid cases is going down in all nations of the UK - although infection levels remain high.

On Friday, 15,144 new cases were recorded in the UK, as well as 758 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

Meanwhile, a new hotel quarantine system is due to come into force in England and Scotland on Monday.

It means all British and Irish citizens and UK residents arriving in England from so-called "red-list" countries - including Portugal, Brazil and South Africa - will have to quarantine in a hotel at a cost of £1,750 for an individual.

In Scotland, residents arriving from any country by air will have to isolate in hotels.


Sir Simon Stevens: "This has been a very encouraging start, and obviously there is much more to do".


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Reach Consensus on Shared Economic Development Priorities to Stimulate Regional Growth in Belfast
Department for Business and Trade Finalizes Conditional Support Package for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in Newport
Welsh Government Unveils Regional Industrial Development Strategy to Attract Green Energy Investment to South Wales Manufacturing Hubs
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes Diplomatic Mission to European Capital Cities to Strengthen Post-Brexit Defense Cooperation
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Regulatory Compliance Standards for Water Utilities Across England
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Wage Growth Stabilization and Resilient Employment Figures Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Government and Trade Union Representatives Reach Tentative Pay Agreement for Public Sector Transport Workers in Edinburgh
National Health Service England Announces Emergency Capital Funding Allocation to Reduce Winter Emergency Department Bottlenecks
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Treasury Officials Finalize Urgent Fiscal Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming National Budget
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
×