In Wiltshire more than 257,000 people have been given their first coronavirus jab since the start of the vaccination rollout.
NHS data shows that 257,614 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine have made their way into the arms of Wiltshire residents, up to April 4.
Of those vaccinated 139,989 were aged 60 or over which means that 117,625 people aged between 16 and 59 have also received their first dose.
Covid vaccine vials
Here’s how the numbers look in Wiltshire’s constituency areas, up to April 4:
- Chippenham - 51,636
- Devizes - 49,909
- North Wiltshire - 49,372
- Salisbury - 52,967
- South West Wiltshire - 53,730
This follows new vaccine advice for the under 30s in the UK. On Wednesday, advice surrounding the administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jag changed due to concerns about a possible link between the vaccine and blot clots.
The new government advice is that anyone under 3o should be offered an alternative vaccine as a precaution.
Kate Blackburn Picture by Alice Smith
Kate Blackburn, director of public health for Wiltshire, said: “The evidence shows that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh any of the possible rare serious risks.
“Despite there currently being no evidence the AstraZeneca vaccine has caused blood clots, the MHRA confirmed they will continue to look into this, therefore the recommendation to offer an alternative to those under 30 shows that the vaccine safety system is working well and taking a precautionary approach.
“I’d urge everyone to get the vaccine when it’s offered to them and if anyone has had the first dose of AstraZeneca they shouldn’t hesitate in getting the second.
“The rapid reduction in new cases, hospitalisations, and deaths over the last few months shows that, alongside all the other measures, the vaccine programme is having a really positive impact.”
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