People aged 18 and over will be able to receive a coronavirus vaccine in some areas of Blackburn from next week following a rise in cases of the Indian variant.

Sky News understands the areas seeing the extended vaccination rollout include Bastwell and Daisyfield; Billinge and Beardwood; and Shear Brow and Corporation Park.

Blackburn is one of a handful of areas that is experiencing a jump in cases, while large parts of England have seen significant drops.

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A Sky News analysis found that in the two weeks to 4 May, Blackburn had the 10th highest infection rate in the country, with 114.2 cases per 100,000 people.

On Wednesday, it was announced that people aged 38 and 39 would be offered the COVID-19 vaccine but concerns over the Indian variant has meant some parts are accelerating the rollout.

While parts of Blackburn is offering it to all of those over the age of 18, people in Bolton are able to get a vaccine without an appointment at the city’s mobile vaccine bus.

One of the primary reasons for the spike in cases is the imported Indian variant of the virus which is proving to be highly transmissible.

Derwen Council leaders issued a warning, urging people to remain vigilant over COVID-19 safety after strains of the Indian variant was detected.

Cases of the latest variant of concern have been found in three wards – Shear Brow and Corporation Park, Billinge and Beardwood and Bastwell and Daisyfield.

Last week, the UK medicine safety regulation announced that adults under the age of 40 will be given an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine due to a link with rare blood clots.

The UK’s medicines safety regulator says there have been 242 clotting cases and 49 deaths, with 28.5 million doses of the vaccine administered.

But the risk is slightly higher in younger age groups.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he is “anxious” about the Indian variant and the government is “ruling nothing out” when it comes to tackling the spread.

He said the variant has been spreading in the UK.

“We want to make sure that we take all the prudential, all the cautious steps now that we could take,” he said.

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“So there are meetings going on today to consider exactly what we need to do.”

Asked if the government was considering surge vaccinations alongside surge testing in areas with spikes of new variants, Downing Street said officials would not “rule anything out”.

The PM’s spokesman also said there were “no plans” to reintroduce the tiered system of virus restrictions used in England towards the end of last year.

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