ADULTS in their forties will be invited for their Covid-19 vaccination from this week, as the UK hit its deadline for vaccinating the highest priority groups three days early.

All adults in the UK aged over 50 have now been offered a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for the next phase of the rollout, the Government has said.

Boris Johnson hailed another “hugely significant milestone” in the programme to protect the country against the disease.

It means the Government has met its target of offering the jab to all of its top nine priority groups, including the clinically vulnerable and health and social care workers, three days ahead of its target date of April 15.

The Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation will shortly set out its final advice for the completion of the programme, expected to begin this week with those in their late 40s.

When will over 40s get the vaccine?

Reports suggest that some healthy adults in their 40s could be invited for their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as Tuesday (13 April).

More than 32 million people have now received a first dose, while almost 7.5 million are fully vaccinated.

The government set a target of mid-April to offer a first dose of vaccine to everyone in the top nine priority groups, also known as phase one of the vaccination programme, while phase two will see the jab offered to younger healthy adults, starting with those aged 40 to 49.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our vaccination programme continues at pace with over 32 million people having now received a first dose.

“Our target is to offer a jab to over 50s by April 15 and all adults by the end of July, and we are on course to meet that.

“We will be setting out more details later this week.”

However, supply constraint could mean that many people may have to wait a little longer to be invited for their jab.

In March, the NHS in England warned of a “significant reduction in weekly supply” throughout April, meaning volumes for first doses will be “significantly constrained”.

Throughout April, the health service has prioritised second doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, with a record 475,230 people receiving their second jab on Saturday (10 April).

The availability of the Moderna jab, which is the third coronavirus vaccine to be approved in the UK, means the UK can now step up the number of first doses offered to the public, while stocks of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines can mostly be used for second doses.

UK medicines regulators have recently recommended that adults aged 18 to 29 should now be offered alternatives to the AstraZeneca vaccine, following concerns of a possible link between the jab and “extremely rare” blood clots.

As such, people under the age of 30 could receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead.

Both Wales and Scotland have already started administering the Moderna vaccine, alongside Pfizer and AstraZeneca, while England is due to follow from mid-April.

How do I book an appointment?

When it is your turn to book your Covid-19 vaccination, visit nhs.uk.

When you book, you will be asked for information including:

  • your name and date of birth
  • your NHS number – this is a 10 digit number you can find on any letter the NHS has sent you, for example, 485 777 3546

If you do not know your NHS number you can still book your appointment.

You should only book an appointment once you have been contacted by the NHS. You should not contact the NHS for a vaccination before then.

You need two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine to get the best protection from the virus.

Your second dose will be given around 11 to 12 weeks after your first. When you book your first appointment, you will also need to book your second appointment at the same time.