All over-50s should be offered a coronavirus vaccine by May, the government has announced.
It is a significant target and the first time a firm date has been put on when all those in the top nine categories on the priority list for a COVID-19 jab will be offered one by.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed the ambition on Friday, saying in an interview: “My plan is that we should be able to offer a vaccine to everyone in categories 1-9 – that’s all the over 50s – by May.
“Lots of things have got to go right to hit that goal – especially supply, which is the rate-limiting factor.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman yesterday would only say the deadline was the “end of spring” – and refused to explain whether that could be as late as mid-June.