Covid jabs: Northamptonshire's total hits a whopping 168,000 in just 68 days

Northamptonshire's Covid vaccination roll-out hit delivered first doses to nearly 97 per cent of over-70s in the county by last weekend.

County teams targeting 135,000 of those offered first doses, gave 158,086 initial jabs — 91,632 in the older age groups plus 66,454 under-65s, including healthcare workers — in just 68 days between December 8 and February 14.

Of those, more than 30,000 first and second doses were were delivered in the last week. The figures:

■ Those under-65s including healthcare workers — 66,454 first doses, 2,418 second doses.

■ Those aged 70-74 — 35,082 first doses, 66 second doses.

■ Those aged 75-79 — 25,347 first doses, 133 second doses.

■ Those aged 80-plus — 31,203 first doses, 7,613 second doses.

The 158,000-plus first jabs delivered means more than 25 per cent of Northamptonshire's 580,000 people aged over 16 have been vaccinated.

Another 10,000 have already had their second jabs.

Offers are already going out to those in the next batch of priority groups, those aged between 65 and 70 plus anybody whose health conditions makes them clinically extremely vulnerable.

Yet the man in charge of the vaccination programme in Northamptonshire admits the missing three per cent of people in the older age groups who have NOT had jabs is still a concern.

Chris Pallot said: "We're doing really well but there is space to go further still.

"There are still patients in the initial cohort groups that we haven't been able to vaccinate yet even though we have made them the offer.

■ READ THIS: David Summers' exclusive interview with Northamptonshire's vaccinations chief

"We still have jabs available this weekend, so my message to anyone who is over 70 and not had the vaccinate yet, please call 119 which is the national booking line so we can get you booked in."

Those who need a second dose will start receiving invitations up to 11 or 12 weeks after their first jab.

Appointments for vaccinations for those eligible can also be booked via the NHS website HERE.

Boris Johnson set a target of offering life-saving jabs to 15million people nationwide in the top four priority groups — healthcare workers plus the elderly most at risk of dying from the virus — by mid-February.

But the Mail reported today that over-40s could be receiving Covid jabs by the end of March as age bands are widened during the roll-out's next phases.

The paper claims those in the 40 to 49-year-old bracket are likely to get the vaccine once the 32million in top nine priority groups have had their first doses — and that target could be hit as soon as March 24.

This would mean the over-40s being invited for a vaccine in less than five weeks.