THE Government has revealed it aims to vaccinate millions of those most vulnerable to coronavirus in a matter of weeks.

The top four groups of people prioritised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine should all have been offered the jab by the middle of February, as the vaccines delivery plan is published in full.

The plan says this is the "biggest vaccination programme in NHS history" with an "ambitious timetable".

By Monday, February 15, the Government hopes to have offered a first vaccine dose to everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

These are:

  • all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers.
  • all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers.
  • all those 75 years of age and over.
  • all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals.

Salisbury Journal: File photo dated 19/10/17 of Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, who has warned that controversial measures to tighten press regulation would have a "catastrophic" impact on local papers. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 9, 2018. Mr HancFile photo dated 19/10/17 of Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, who has warned that controversial measures to tighten press regulation would have a "catastrophic" impact on local papers. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Wednesday May 9, 2018. Mr Hanc

Health Secretary laid out the plans in a tweet posted earlier this afternoon.

Other aims of the plan include:

  • Being able to deliver at least two million vaccinations in England per week by the end of January
  • Setting up more than 2,700 vaccine sites open across the UK.
  • By the end of January, everyone in England will be within 10 miles of a vaccination site.
  • All residents and staff in over 10,000 care homes across the country will be offered a vaccine by the end of the month.

First phase priority groups

  1. Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
  2. All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
  3. All those 75 years of age and over
  4. All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age)
  5. All those 65 years of age and over
  6. Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group (see below)
  7. All those 60 years of age and over
  8. All those 55 years of age and over
  9. All those 50 years of age and over
  10. Rest of the population (to be determined)

Clinical conditions list

  • a blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
  • diabetes
  • dementia
  • a heart problem
  • a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma
  • a kidney disease
  • a liver disease
  • lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
  • rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis
  • have had an organ transplant
  • had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
  • a neurological or muscle wasting condition
  • a severe or profound learning disability
  • a problem with your spleen, example sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed
  • are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above)
  • are severely mentally ill

To read the plan in full, click here.