In the same Downing Street press conference Sir Patrick Vallance warned that having large numbers of unprotected people could delay the easing of lockdown.
The Government set a target to vaccinate the 15million people most vulnerable by Monday, which includes everyone over 70, care home residents, their carers and frontline NHS staff, as well as patients classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, such as those with terminal illnesses.
But while 13 million in the most vulnerable categories have had the jab, the Prime Minister highlighted there was still a large group who had yet to come forward to have theirs.
Warning that the lifting of lockdown could be delayed if large numbers of vulnerable people remained unvaccinated, Sir Patrick Vallance said this high number ‘could mean there is always the threat of a rapid spike in deaths and hospitalisations.’
Boris Johnson has promised to lay out a ‘route map’ out of the national shutdown on February 22nd, with schools expected to be the first to go back sometime after March 8th.
