Vaccines rolled out to all over-40s in England - how to book your appointment

The Moderna vaccine is the third to be approved for use in the UK, and is now being given to patients in England.  (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)The Moderna vaccine is the third to be approved for use in the UK, and is now being given to patients in England.  (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The Moderna vaccine is the third to be approved for use in the UK, and is now being given to patients in England. (Photo by Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

People over the age of 40 in England are now able to book their coronavirus vaccination, NHS officials have confirmed.

Those aged 40 and 41 in England should be receiving text messages inviting them to the national booking service for vaccination.

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The rollout extension comes just days after it was announced that 42-year-olds were eligible for the jab.

Since the vaccination programme began in December 2020, around 34 million – almost two thirds of the adult population – have had their first dose of the jab, while more than 14 million are fully vaccinated.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: "With nine-tenths of people aged 45 and over having been jabbed, nearly three-quarters of a million new appointments were made in just two days as our booking service opened to people aged 42 to 44."

Anyone who finds themselves eligible, but unable to book through the national booking service, can call the service on 119 to book.

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Rollout is happening at a varied pace across the UK currently, with Northern Ireland now opening up their vaccination programme to 35 to 39-year-olds.

Wales is offering the jab to over-40s and, in some areas, even younger people. In Scotland, 45 to 49-year-olds are currently being invited.

The government hopes to meet its target of offering a first dose to all UK adults by the end of July, recently launching a campaign to encourage younger people to take up the offer when it's their turn.

The NHS is vaccinating the population with Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna, with the government recently ordering an extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as part of its plans for a vaccination booster programme in the autumn.

The health service is currently advising that it is preferable for those under 30 to have a vaccine other than the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab due to some evidence of a link to blood clots.

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