The United Kingdom, which has the world’s fifth worst official death toll from COVID-19, is racing to be among the first major countries to vaccinate its population as a means of exiting the pandemic in the best and swiftest way possible and revive its economy.
According to the vaccine deployment Minister, about 140 people are vaccinated in the United Kingdom against COVID-19 per minute on average.
“It is going well, we’re vaccinating on average 140 people, that’s first jab, literally a minute. That’s the average so some areas are doing better,” Zahawi told Sky.
Britain is currently rolling out the vaccine to the most vulnerable first, starting with those who are in care homes or over 80 years of age. In areas where a majority of over 80s have been offered a vaccine, letters are going out to the over 70s and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
Key workers such as teachers, the police and shopworkers are also considered to move to the top of the list for a vaccine once all those over 50 have been offered a shot.
“Teachers, police officers, shop workers, those who through no fault of their own other than the work that they do may come into contact with the virus in much greater volume, should be top of the list,” Nadhim Zahawi told Times Radio.
Britain has inoculated 3,857,266 people with a first dose and 449,736 with a second dose. On vaccines administered per 100 people, the United Kingdom is fourth in the world after Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Source: Reuters
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