Thread by @Telegraph

🔴 Boris Johnson is about to lead a Downing Street press conference.

The briefing is likely to focus on the vaccine rollout, including urging those in the top four groups who are yet to get their vaccine to do so.

All the details in this thread ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

And we're live.

⏯️ Watch on our YouTube channel ⬇️

Boris Johnson pays tribute to the "astonishing efforts" of all involved in the UK reaching its target of more than 15 million vaccinations.

"This is an unprecedented national moment, but it's no moment to relax," he says

"Don't forget that 60% of hospital patients with Covid are under 70," he continues.

"And although the vaccination programme is going well, we still don't have enough data about the exact effectiveness of the vaccine in reducing the spread of infection"

The PM says hospital admissions continue to run at more than 1,600 a day.

"I can tell you that today the next million letters are landing on people's mats right now, offering appointments to the over-65s"
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

'We're also contacting all those aged between 16-64 with health conditions, as well as adult carers,' he says.

'If we can keep this pace up, then we hope to offer a vaccination to everyone in the first nine priority groups, including everyone over 50, by the end of April'

Boris Johnson says: "Next week I'll be setting out a road map saying as much as we possibly can about the route to normality.

"Because we want this lockdown to be the last. And we want progress to be cautious, but also irreversible"

Chris Whitty says that there has been "significant progress" in reducing the case rate, but infections remain very high.

He notes that the number of people in hospital is slightly above the point that it was at the peak of the epidemic during the first wave in April

Prof Whitty says that the first layer of protection comes in the form of people's first vaccine dose, which takes effect two to three weeks later. Then, people will have a second dose of the vaccine to "strengthen the protection, and make it more long-lasting"

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, says that the vaccination roll-out has been "an extraordinary national team effort".

"But today is not 'mission accomplished'," he says

Sir Simon described the vaccination campaign as two sprints and a marathon.

"We've just come through the finish line of the first sprint."

He says that the "marathon" will be the inoculation of the wider population, the winter flu campaign, and further Covid booster shots

Anyone who has already been offered a jab and declined it is still eligible, says Sir Simon Stevens.

From early to mid-March, the NHS is reserving the vaccines that will be needed to administer second doses to patients who have already received their first one

Asked how the NHS will cope with the ongoing pressure of near-constant vaccinations, the PM says: "My instinctive answer is that the NHS already runs massive vaccination programmes for flu"
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

Boris Johnson responds to a question about the mental health pressures of the virus by saying that NHS mental health services "are still there for you, and you should use them if you need them - it's very important"

Mr Johnson is asked whether we are looking at a very gradual easing of restrictions, and if we should "rule out get-togethers and getaways at Easter".

The PM says he cannot give any guarantees

"I'll be setting out as much of a timetable as we can give on the 22nd," Mr Johnson continues.

"I'm very hopeful that we'll be able to go ahead and open things up."

However, he says that he can't give a "cast-iron guarantee" that further difficulties do not await

On schools, Boris Johnson says that decisions are "not yet taken".

"I would humbly advise anyone reading accounts of what we're going to do in the course of the next few months with a pinch of salt, folks, because this is still speculation," he says

On vaccine passports, Boris Johnson says that some countries will insist on them, and once again draws a comparison with existing measures against yellow fever.

Follow all the updates on our live blog ⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…