The Government expects “the majority” of vulnerable people will be vaccinated in January and February.
Downing Street would not confirm whether they were expecting four million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to arrive by the end of the year.
“We obviously have 40 million doses on order but the scale of the delivery depends on the manufacturing process as we move forward through December,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
Around 25 million people are covered by the 10 priority categories set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
The first vaccinations will go to care home staff and residents, NHS frontline workers and people aged 80 and over – around six million people.
Asked how many people will be vaccinated by the end of February, the spokesman said: “The majority of the vaccination of the vulnerable will be in January or February.”
But the spokesman stressed that two further vaccines were still being assessed by regulators, which could boost the number of doses available.
Downing Street dismissed the prospect of NHS vaccination cards becoming a form of “immunity passport” to allow people who have received the jab to enjoy extra freedoms.
“We have been clear that there are no plans to introduce immunity passports,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“The cards … are NHS reminder cards that prompt people to get the second dose that they need.
“That’s a well-established practice in the NHS to offer people cards to remind them of their next appointment.”
