The first healthy 16 and 17-year-olds have received their Covid vaccines, barely two days after they the age group was told to get jabbed.
Elliot Aston, 16, from County Down, today became one of the first in the age group to get inoculated against the virus.
The smiling teenager pictured clutching his vaccination card said: 'It’s good that they’re finally offering it to us because we are probably the ones that are out and about the most so I think it’s about time.'
No10's top scientists expanded the vaccination drive to include 1.4million Britons in the age groups on Wednesday, in a dramatic U-turn from two weeks ago.
And now the oldest teenagers are being offered their first dose at GP appointments in England, and at walk-in centres at local and regional sites in Northern Ireland. Wales and Scotland are yet to start jabbing the groups.
Ministers had promised to start dishing out jabs to the group 'as soon as possible', with deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam saying there was 'no time to waste'.
It comes as MailOnline analysis today revealed nearly 170 neighbourhoods across England have still not fully vaccinated two-thirds of their over-50s.
More than 46.9million Britons have received a first dose of the Covid vaccine, the equivalent of 88.8 per cent of adults. And 39million have got two doses, or 73.8 per cent.
Elliot Aston, 16, (pictured) was among the first in his age group to get the Covid vaccine. He received the jab at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland. No10's top scientists have told everyone in the age group to get jabbed
Nearly 30 areas in England have not fully vaccinated their over-50 populations against Covid, official statistics have revealed as experts warn there are huge pockets of the population still vulnerable to the virus. Graph shows
Harehills South in Leeds has reached the fewest over-50s, with just 813 of the 1,562 living in the area receiving their second dose — 52 per cent of the population. Map shows: The proportion of adults who have had both Covid vaccine doses
Overall, 2.5million over-50s (11 per cent) have not yet got their second jab and 2million haven't had their first (nine per cent)
In England, teenagers are being advised they should wait to be contacted by their GP to arrange an appointment, and some clinics were already giving out jabs on Friday, NHS England said.
Walk-in services are expected to be available across England from next week.
In Scotland those in this age category can register their interest on the online portal from Friday and will then be sent an appointment by text or email, while those in Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles will be contacted by their health board.
