Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts
On December 8, 2020, the COVID-19 vaccination commenced in the United Kingdom after the country become the first in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine six days earlier. The roll-out's initial phase was aimed at care home residents, individuals aged over 80, and frontline health workers. By mid-April 2021, the UK had managed to offer all over 50-year olds, health workers on the frontline, people with underlying health conditions, and those classed as clinically vulnerable a first dose of a vaccine. As of February 7, 2022, around 52.4 million people in the UK had received a first dose of a COVID vaccine. The success of the vaccination program could be illustrated in the number of people being admitted to hospital is not matching the high peaks associated with high transmission numbers prior to the vaccination campaign.
