UK Opens Up COVID-19 Vaccines To All Adults In "Final Push'' For Protection

The National Health Service (NHS) said everyone aged 18 and over is being urged to arrange a jab if they have not had one as it begins sending around 1.5 million texts to people aged 18-20.

The UK's health officials on Friday opened up the country's COVID-19 vaccination programme to all adults, in what has been dubbed as the "final push" to offer protection against the deadly virus. The National Health Service (NHS) said everyone aged 18 and over is being urged to arrange a jab if they have not had one as it begins sending around 1.5 million texts to people aged 18-20. It said the latest "milestone" in the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme comes fewer than 200 days since the health service made history by delivering the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial on December 8, 2020. "Offering all adults a jab less than 200 days after the programme launched is one of our country's greatest collective achievements, saving over 14,000 lives so far," said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.