UK exceeds 15 million vaccinated against Covid-19

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday (14) highlighted the UK’s “significant achievement” after the country crossed the mark of more than 15 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine applied – equivalent to just over 22.3% of the population 67 million people.

The vaccination program is seen as one of the few successes in the way the government has handled the pandemic – which has left the UK with more deaths and worse economic damage than its neighbours.

After becoming the first country in the world to agree to a vaccine against the new coronavirus, the British government has set an ambitious goal: vaccinate 15 million residents and employees of nursing homes, health and medical professionals and everyone in their 70s or older. and those with clinically severe impairment by February 15.

Johnson said all of these groups were fortified in England, but he did not speak of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, nor did he say whether the overall goal had been achieved.

“Today we have reached an important milestone,” he said. “No one is resting on their laurels… We still have a long way to go and there will undoubtedly be hurdles in the way, but after all we’ve achieved, I know we can move forward with great confidence,” he said. Prime Minister.

The Conservative politician said he would provide more details on the UK’s vaccination progress on Monday (15).

Appeal against restrictions

The success of the vaccine program has led to calls from opponents of the country’s prolonged blockade to begin easing restrictions ordering citizens to stay at home and closing non-essential shops and schools.

But Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was too early to discuss when the restrictions might be lifted.

“We share all the ambition and desire to get out of this lockdown, we want to do it responsibly and safely, so it has to be evidence-based,” he told Radio Times.

Raab was responding to a letter from 63 Conservative MPs demanding that all lockdown measures be suspended by the end of April.

That is the government’s next scheduled date to vaccinate every member of the vaccine’s target audience – estimated at 32 million people – who have so far accounted for 99% of all deaths.

The letter organized by the Covid-19 recovery group reads: “Once the nine priority groups are protected by the end of April, there is no justification for any legislative restrictions to remain.”

Johnson will outline on February 22 the government’s plans to end the lockdown. He said he wants schools to reopen on March 8.