Covid-19: Vaccination target 'will be hit' in London

A target to vaccinate more than 1.5 million Londoners by 14 February will be hit, the London Assembly has heard.

In January, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said he was "hugely concerned" that the capital had one of the lowest vaccination rates.

London did not get a fair share of doses but supply has since increased, health advisor Dr Tom Coffey said.

Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said the city would "continue to receive a fair share of vaccine doses".

The government has set a goal to offer those aged 70 and over, healthcare workers and people who need to shield their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by the middle of February.

There are about 1.5 million people in those priority groups in the capital.

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Assembly members heard that as of Wednesday, over 1.1 million people in London had received a first dose.

Dr Coffey said the amount of vaccine doses given to the city had increased in recent weeks and there was now a "planned, predictable, steady supply".

Joint chief nurse for NHS London Martin Machray added that they were now "dead on target" to reach the goal by 14 February.

"It's great news," he said, but added there was "more to do".

Assembly members were also given a breakdown of all those who had received at least one dose of the vaccine in London:

• 61.4% of care and health workers
• 79.5% of care home residents
• 80% of over 80s
• 80.5% of those aged 75-79
• 68.9% of those aged 70-74

Speaking about the figures, Mr Machray described the number of care and health workers vaccinated as "not enough", but added that the number of those over the age of 80 to have been given a dose was "a phenomenal achievement".

The vaccine minister told the assembly the country had "tens of millions of doses coming through" and he was "confident that together we can do this".

When asked about the effect of new mutations on vaccines in the future, Mr Zahawi said some 4,000 Covid variants had been identified worldwide but the government was working with vaccine manufacturers so they are "fit for purpose for any outcome".

"We will probably be vaccinating annually or there maybe a boost in the autumn to make sure we continue to protect [people]," he said.

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