Health Secretary Matt Hancock hails people of Telford for vaccine effort
More than 97 per cent of over 65s in town have had first dose.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has hailed the people of Telford after it was revealed more over-65s have taken up the Covid vaccine in the town than anywhere else in the country.
More than 97 per cent of people within the age bracket in Telford and Wrekin have had their first dose - the highest figure in the UK.
And Mr Hancock has now praised the speed of the roll-out in the town and the willingness of its residents to accept the jab.
The Health Secretary also said Tory MP Lucy Allan had been instrumental in "making the case" for getting the vaccine, and thanked local volunteers for "knocking it out of the park".
He said in a video message posted on social media: "I want to thank everybody involved in the incredible vaccine roll-out in Telford.
"I want to thank Lucy Allan who as MP has been out there making the case, winning the argument that getting the jab is the right thing for you, it's the right thing for Telford, it's the right thing for the country because it'll help us all to get out of this.
"And I'm delighted that over 33,000 people have now had their jab, their first dose, in Telford. It's one of the higest proportions in the whole country and for Telford, NHS, the volunteers, thank you for knocking it out of the park.
"There's still a long way to go and we've still got a lot of progress to make but I'm really, really grateful for all of the efforts so far."
It was confirmed on Friday that vaccinations would continue to be given to people going down in age brackets, following calls for certain professions, such as teachers, to be prioritised.
