Covid-19 vaccine offered to people aged 40 and over in Mansfield and Ashfield

Nearly three quarters of a million appointments were made nationwide on Monday and Tuesday as the NHS began inviting 44 year olds followed by people aged 42 and 43 by text.

Text messages are now going out to 40 and 41-year-olds today, allowing them to arrange a jab at the click of a button through the national booking service.

Those aged 42 to 44 have already been text this week, meaning another 2.5million more people across the country have been invited for their jab.

More than 2.4 million people in the East Midlands have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

NHS staff and volunteers across the Midlands have also fully vaccinated more than 870,000 people in the region.

Alison Tonge, the NHS England and NHS Improvement director responsible for overseeing the vaccination programme in the Midlands, said: “Almost 5.5million people in the Midlands have already come forward to receive at least one dose of the vaccine and we are delighted to invite everyone aged 40 and over to receive theirs, as the Midlands continues to lead the way in rolling out the largest vaccination programme in the history of our NHS.”

When invited, people will be able to book in at a vaccination centre or pharmacy site through the national booking service.

The NHS currently vaccinates using three vaccines, Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, all of which have been approved as safe and effective by the world leading medical regulator the MHRA.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Ashley Booker, editor.