When I was asked to be Vaccines Minister, I was never in any doubt of how successful the vaccine rollout would be – but I have been truly blown away by how phenomenally it has progressed since the world’s first authorised Covid-19 jab was administered in the UK seven months ago.
The heroic efforts of the swathes of volunteers ensuring a smooth process at vaccine centres across the country day after day, combined with the excellent joined-up working in local authorities and the unwavering dedication of the NHS, has ensured this rollout is one of the most significant and positive public health moments for centuries.
This praise is not without substance - the statistics speak for themselves. So far 83 million vaccines have been administered, 87.8 percent of adults have had one dose, and crucially there have been 36.5 million second doses to date.
The public has played a remarkable role in doing everything they can over the last few months in fighting this global pandemic.
Thanks to the wall of protection built through every single vaccination, we have substantially weakened the link between cases and hospitalisations and we are able to cautiously return to enjoying more of our everyday freedoms that we have missed so much.
The whole nation has pulled together in this historic effort and local communities have developed innovative ways to encourage people to get their life-saving jabs.
This includes a pop-up site in a Mosque in Brent that I have visited; homeless charity The Passage, which is helping some of the most vulnerable; vaccine buses in Liverpool; mobile vans in Oxford; shopping centre pop-ups in Leeds and Bristol, as well as stores such as Primark.
There are also countless vaccine sites at sporting grounds, traditionally home to some of our most treasured moments - from cup finals to first dates – that are now giving us the protection we need to make a new set of memories alongside loved ones we've known a lifetime.
We want all adults to grab a jab when they can. And we have been using channels such as Reddit, Snapchat and TikTok, allowing people to proudly share their vaccine status and partnering with influencers to create content to reach people of all ages.
If you’re reading this and you are still feeling hesitant about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine – there are numerous reasons why you should feel reassured.
Vaccines save lives . In England alone, the latest data from PHE shows the jabs have saved nearly 37,000 lives and prevented 52,000 hospitalisations.
This not only means vaccines build our resilience to the virus, but it is helping keep the NHS - which has been there for us every step of the way during the pandemic - from becoming overwhelmed.
The vaccines are safe . As with any vaccine, they have gone through three stages of robust clinical trials and have been approved by our independent medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as they meet its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
Vaccinated people are far less likely to get Covid-19 with symptoms and even more unlikely to get serious cases of Covid-19, to be admitted to hospital, or to die from it and there is growing evidence that they are less likely to pass the virus to others.
Double-vaccinated people will be able to return to doing the things they have missed , such as going on holiday without the need to self-isolate when visiting most amber list countries, and attending events and venues that require the NHS Covid Pass, such as nightclubs from September.
And most importantly, vaccines remain key to keeping not only yourself safe from the devastating impacts of the virus, but also your loved ones.
We are currently witnessing one of the most significant moments in history through the vaccine rollout, and everyone should be immensely proud of being part of it.
If you are eligible and have not yet come forward, please do not delay in booking your vaccination now to ensure you’re doing everything to protect yourself and your community.
