Scotland is first UK nation to give extra vaccine dose to half of all adults

Scotland has become the first UK nation to give a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine to more than half of its entire adult population. A total of 2,250,118 extra doses had been given to over-18s as of December 14.

This is the equivalent of 50.7% of this age group, according to Public Health Scotland.

A milestone is reached

The milestone comes as a record 656,711 booster and third doses of vaccine were reported in the UK on Tuesday. The government has said all eligible adults in the UK will be offered the chance to get a booster jab before the end of the month. People can have a booster dose if they are three months on from receiving their second dose of vaccine.

Third doses – the other type of extra dose – are available eight weeks after a second dose to people aged 12 and over with severely weakened immune systems. Scotland’s figure of 50.7% adults with an extra dose is up from 44.2% a week earlier and 39.6% at the start of December.

How the rest are doing

England is likely to be the next nation to pass the 50% mark. A total of 20,668,846 booster and third doses had been delivered to people aged 18 and over by December 14, according to NHS England.

This is the equivalent of 46.5% of this entire age group – up from 40.0% a week ago.

In the north of Ireland, 586,487 booster and third doses have now been given to people aged 18 and over, according to its Department of Health. This is the equivalent of 40.3% of the entire adult population.

Wales does not publish a full breakdown by age group of the take-up of extra doses, instead giving the figures only for booster doses. These show that 1,094,611 boosters had been given to those aged 18 and over as of December 14, according to Public Health Wales – the equivalent of 43.1% of the age group.

Percentages are based on the latest official population estimates for the UK, which are for mid-2020 and are used by the Government and the UK health agencies for reporting levels of vaccine take-up. Around 46% of all people aged 18 and over in the UK are now likely to have received either a booster or third dose of Covid-19 vaccine, according to analysis by the PA news agency.