THE UK Government has confirmed the order in which people will receive the new coronavirus vaccine.

In a scientific biefing this morning, it was confirmed that the first phase rollout of the jab aims to cover "90 to 99 per cent of those at risk". 

Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed of the Commission on Human Medicine Expert Working Group, said that while there is some evidence that people start showing immunity to the virus within 12 days or receiving the first dose, they are fully immune to the disease within seven days of getting the second jab.

The second dose of the jab is given 21 days after the first, meaning it should take around 4 weeks for people to become immune from the time they first get vaccinated.

Below is the order in which people will be vaccinated in this first phase of vaccine rollout, which is expected to begin as early as next week.

The Herald:

Wei Shen Lim, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, set out the thinking behind the priority list drawn up by the body.

He told a Downing Street briefing: “Prioritisation was based on the risk of dying from Covid-19 and, in order to protect the most vulnerable, we have prioritised the most vulnerable individuals first.

“The other element is protection of the NHS and the health and social care system, because by protecting the NHS we also protect lives.”