Almost 40% of care home residents in England have had coronavirus vaccine – PM

Almost 40% of care home residents in England have received a coronavirus vaccine, the Prime Minister has said.

Boris Johnson said 45% of the over-80s and almost 40% of care home residents have received at least one dose.

Mr Johnson paid particular tribute to vaccine teams in north-west Lincolnshire, Sunderland and Morecambe Bay, where more than 80% of care home residents have been given a vaccine.

The majority of care home residents in England are expected to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of the week, health officials have said.

NHS England has told GPs that it “expects” care home residents and staff at homes across England to be vaccinated by the end of this week, or by January 24 “at the latest”.

Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: “We are steadily building up that immunity, that protection, for the vulnerable, for the NHS and for us all.

“So when the call comes, please do get the jab and in the meantime, stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”

Care groups have been calling on the NHS to publish daily breakdowns on how many people in priority groups, including care home residents, have received a coronavirus vaccine.

While politicians have given ad hoc updates on what percentage of residents have received the jab, care groups want daily updates and say the current lack of detail “seems unhelpful in the extreme”.

Regular updates will also enable better scrutiny of whether the Government is on track to meet its targets.