• Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency held a news conference on 7 April on the latest developments in the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
• According to the government's coronavirus dashboard (as of 7 April) 31,707,594 people have received their first COVID-19 jab in the UK.
• Findings from the REACT-1 study show COVID-19 infections have led to fewer deaths since December, which coincides with the vaccination rollout and ‘Stay at Home' rules but that the prevalence of infections has now levelled off.

Responding to recent developments in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers Miriam Deakin, said:

"We urge everyone to have their COVID-19 jab when they are offered it, in line with the advice of the chief medical officers.

"It is an amazing achievement that nearly 32 million people have had their first jab in the past four months. As Professor Van Tam said yesterday, the UK's vaccination programme has been the 'most enormous success'. By following the lockdown rules and having our jabs, we've made huge strides in tackling COVID-19 and falling hospitalisation and death rates are testament to this.

"It was also reassuring to hear Professor Van Tam confirm the UK remains on track to offer a first jab to all adults by the end of July.

"Despite the welcome progress we've made so far, we mustn't jump the gun.

"We still have a long way to go with our vaccination programme.

"The latest data from the REACT-1 study shows the infection rate has started to flatten rather than continue to fall.

We need to be alert to a possible rise in COVID-19 infections with lockdown restrictions being eased next week.

Miriam Deakin    Co-Director of Development and Engagement

"We need to be alert to a possible rise in COVID-19 infections with lockdown restrictions being eased next week and the ongoing risk from variant strains which now pose the greatest threat to our efforts to control this pandemic.

"It is absolutely crucial that everyone continues to follow the guidance to prevent a rise in infections and further deaths.

"COVID-19 is still here, it's still highly contagious, and people are still dying because of this disease."