Over-45s can book COVID vaccines online after target met

People aged over 45 can now book their COVID vaccinations on the NHS website after the government reached its target of offering a first dose to the nine most vulnerable groups.

There were recently some technical difficulties for people accessing the NHS website, but vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the issues have been fixed – book a vaccine online here and find out if you are eligible.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said that 19 out of 20 of those most at risk of the virus have been vaccinated.

This comes ahead of the deadline of April 15 to have offered everyone in the top nine priority cohorts a COVID-19 vaccine, and England passing 27 million first doses as part of more than 32 million being given across the UK.

The aim is to offer all adults a vaccine by the end of July.

Sir Simon Stevens said: “Vaccinating 19 out of 20 people aged 50 and over is an incredible milestone.

“Thanks to our NHS nurses, doctors, pharmacists, operational managers and thousands of other staff and volunteers, the NHS Covid vaccination programme is without a doubt the most successful in our history. It’s one of our tickets out of this pandemic and offers real hope for the future.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I want to thank everyone involved in the vaccine rollout which has already saved many thousands of lives.

“We will now move forward with completing essential second doses and making progress towards our target of offering all adults a vaccine by the end of July.”

Meanwhile, the first Moderna jab will be delivered in England on Tuesday, April 13 as the NHS vaccination programme reaches another milestone.

More than 20 sites will initially use the newest vaccine as the NHS continues to expand the vaccination programme.

For anyone aged 18-29 who is eligible for a jab, the Moderna vaccine provides another alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, amid concerns over blood clotting.