Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who is in charge of vaccine rollout, tweeted 137,897 people had been given their first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech jab between 8 and 15 December. He described it as a "really good start" for the programme.

The figure only captures the start of the community vaccination programme run by GPs which launched on Monday.

About 200 of these local vaccination clinics are expected to be up and running by the end of the week. They will be followed by another 1,000 in the coming weeks.

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The government wants to offer everyone over 50 and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine - about 25 million people. But the National Audit Office has warned "complex logistical challenges" remain.

It said thousands of extra staff would be needed to deliver vaccinations on the scale being talked about - the government has committed to offering all over 50s and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine.

It said hospitals and GP-run local clinics would not be able to do this on their own.

But it added the government had worked "quickly and effectively" to secure access to vaccines - contracts have been signed giving priority access to five different jabs.

It estimated the vaccination programme, including manufacturing, purchasing and delivering the jabs, could cost up to £12bn.

Story Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55332242