Four in five people aged 16 and over in the UK have now received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine – as Health Secretary Sajid Javid hailed it as a “phenomenal achievement”.

A total of 43,535,098 people have had two jabs (80.1%) and 48,292,811 people have been given one dose (88.8%), according to official data.

Also, more than half of all teenagers aged 16 to 17 in England have already received their first dose, just over four weeks after the green light was given for this age group to be offered the vaccine.

It comes as a new campaign has been launched on social media to encourage more vaccine uptake among younger adults and children eligible for the jab.

Mr Javid said: “It is a phenomenal achievement that four in five adults across the UK have now received both COVID-19 vaccines, which have built a wall of defence around the UK and are allowing us to live safely with this virus.

“It is fantastic to see so many leading companies doing everything they can to help encourage young people to get the jab – from TikTok to MTV, as well as other household names who have already rallied behind the rollout like Uber.

“Getting your vaccine has never been easier, and I urge everyone to continue to play their part by getting the jab to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

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