WELLS MP James Heappey is urging people in the area to get their booster jab, a year after the UK’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine.

Mr Heappey welcomes the news that 35,784 people in Wells have received their booster or third jab as the Government and NHS step up efforts to ensure vulnerable people are protected against Covid-19 this winter.

In 2020, the UK was the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, allowing the life-saving vaccination programme to begin, starting with Margaret Keenan’s jab on December 8.

The latest figures show more than 115 million doses have been administered across the UK since then, with almost 51million people having received at least one dose, and more than 46million people having had two doses.

One in three adults has received their booster jab - more than any other country except the USA and China.

Now, as a precaution considering the new Omicron variant, the Government has expanded the booster programme to all adults over 18 and announced that all eligible people will be offered a top-up jab by the end of January.

To speed up the vaccination programme, around 400 military personnel will be drafted in to support deployment, with 1,500 community pharmacy sites, additional hospital hubs, and pop-up sites opening in convenient locations.

Mr Heappey said: “It is thanks to the incredible effort and success of the Government’s vaccination programme that more than 35,000 people in the constituency have received three Covid vaccine doses, which will offer life-saving protection to them and their loved ones this winter.

“I encourage all those who have not yet come forward to take up the offer of a vaccine.

"We are leading the way here in Somerset and I am in regular contact with the CCG and Somerset County Council to ensure this process is as successful as the first.”

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “I’m incredibly proud of our phenomenal Covid-19 vaccination programme. In under a year, we have administered more than 115 million doses across the UK, saving countless lives and giving us a powerful weapon to fight this devastating virus.

“The battle is not yet over, and we are working around the clock to boost the booster programme even further to maximise immunity following the emergence of the Omicron variant."