A total of 616,933 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus vaccine.
NHS staff have vaccinated more than half a million patients against coronavirus in under two weeks, according to official figures.
A total of 616,933 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus vaccine between 8 December and 20 December 2020.
Those aged 80 and over alongside health and social care staff were the first to receive the vaccine at over 500 vaccination sites across the UK.
Rolling reviews on the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna, and other vaccine candidates are underway and are currently undergoing assessment by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: “The NHS made history when Maggie Keenan became the first person in the world to be vaccinated against COVID and, thanks to the hard work of our brilliant staff, half a million more people have followed hot on her heels in getting protection against the virus.
“This vaccine presents a number complex logistical challenges but the NHS response has been nothing short of phenomenal, with hundreds of hospitals and local vaccination centres stood up across the country.
“More centres are coming online now and in the new year as we accelerate delivery as more vaccine comes on stream.”
Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “I am extremely proud the UK is the first country in the world to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and protect the most vulnerable from this awful disease.
“The NHS across the UK is working incredibly hard to scale up the vaccination programme as fast as they can to make sure everyone on the priority list can get their vaccine easily.”
