Minister ‘confident’ the capital will hit its vaccine target

By Joe Talora, local democracy reporter

Almost 1.5 million people in London have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with the capital just shy of hitting its target.

A total of 1,457,323 Londoners have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, with a further 63,451 having received both doses.

The Government had set the target of vaccinating the top four priority groups of over 70s, healthcare workers and the clinically vulnerable by today, with those groups comprising of around 1.5 million people in London.

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi told the London Assembly at the start of the month that he was “confident” London would hit its target and that the capital would “continue to receive its fair share of vaccine doses” after initial fears that it was falling behind the rest of the country.

With the majority of the top four priority groups now having received their first dose, attention will soon turn to over 65s as the next phase of the vaccine rollout begins.

Anyone over the age of 70 who has not yet received their first dose is being urged to book a vaccination online, by calling 119 or by speaking to their GP.

Responding to the latest figures, Labour’s London Assembly Health Spokesperson Dr Onkar Sahota said it is “a landmark moment” for London but admitted “many challenges still remain”.

Dr Sahota said: “These figures show that the target of offering 1.5 million of the most vulnerable Londoners their first dose of the vaccine by Valentine’s Day has likely been hit.

“Credit should go to the Government, but this remarkable achievement has been driven by our heroic NHS workforce and volunteers across the capital.

“London remains at the bottom of the league compared to other regions when it comes to vaccine distribution, and this still appears to be down to supply issues.

“If we are going to keep up the positive momentum, we need further assurances from the Government that this is being resolved.”