Responding to the progress on COVID-19 vaccinations in England, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers Saffron Cordery said:

"It's incredible news that half of all adults in England have now received their first jab.

"This is a truly fantastic achievement and we pay tribute to the invaluable work being done by frontline NHS staff in trusts and primary care, and the many volunteers who are delivering the vaccination programme day in, day out.

"But this is no time for complacency. We have made fantastic progress, but there is still a long way to go. While the government is on track to offer a vaccination to all those in the top nine priority groups by 15 April, more must be done to secure vaccines supplies so that the remaining 50% of adults in the UK receive their first jab by the end of July. This is particularly important in light of the logistical challenges to supplies highlighted earlier this week.

"It is crucial that we continue to follow the lockdown rules, as this will help prevent unnecessary deaths and allow COVID-19 case numbers to fall even more."