He added: We saw the rollout in hospitals first, now more and more GPs are coming on line to be able to provide the vaccines. We have been clear that we will roll out to care homes as well before Christmas.
It had initially been hoped that 10 million doses would be in the country by the end of 2020, but this has now dropped to five million.
To date, 800,000 Pfizer vaccine jabs are said to be in the country, enough for 400,000 people and the UK has ordered 40 million doses to protect 20 million.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock hopes several million in the most at-risk categories can be vaccinated before Christmas.
A 94-year-old great-great grandmother has said people will be “very silly” if they turn down the chance to have a Covid-19 vaccine, after she became one of the first wave of pensioners to receive the jab.
Joyce Dowd said she hopes the vaccination she had at a new GP-run centre in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, will mean she will soon be able to see her great-great grandchild, who was born during the pandemic, for the first time.
She has another great-great grandchild – her fourth – due in February.
But Mrs Dowd, who lives in the Hexthorpe area of Doncaster, said she will not see the infants until she is sure it is safe.
Britain won t vaccinate all 30million vulnerable residents against Covid for a decade, if Number 10 s mammoth operation continues at the current speed.
Department of Health bosses today claimed 137,897 people across Britain were given the approved Pfizer/BioNTech jab during the first eight days of the UK s biggest-ever vaccination drive.
At that rate roughly 17,237 vaccinations per day it would take around 3,481 days to give all 30million people on Downing Street s priority list their two doses.
Vaccinations are being done faster this week now GP practices are involved and will continue to speed up in the coming weeks with more venues starting up, more staff hired and more vaccine doses available.