The vaccine rollout is set to be ramped up in the UK in an effort to get all adults vaccinated by the summer.

The increase has been made possible by a large shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute in India, which has arrived and passed safety checks, the BBC has reported.

It means the vaccine rate could nearly double in the UK in the coming months and eventually reach four million a week.

All over-50s in Herefordshire are expected to have been offered their first jab by the end of March, with the NHS moving straight onto under-50s.

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Despite second doses now being given in the county, as a booster is needed 12 weeks after the first injection, supply continues to ramp up meaning there is a higher capacity.

The NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group said the second jab boosts immunity and further decreases the risk of a patient developing serious symptoms, so said attending the second appointment is vital.

Anyone over-50 can now book their Covid-19 vaccine online, with the NHS in Herefordshire understood to have a target date of March 30 for the group.

Hereford Times: Dr Simon Lennane, right, gives Bernard Morris his coronavirus jab in Ross-on-Wye's Larruperz CentreDr Simon Lennane, right, gives Bernard Morris his coronavirus jab in Ross-on-Wye's Larruperz Centre

More than 24 million adults have now had their first dose of the Covid vaccine across the UK, with almost 80,000 first doses given in Herefordshire alone.

The increasing speed of the vaccine programme means ministers are hopeful all adults will be offered a jab before July 31.

As vaccine supply increases further, the NHS in Herefordshire will then move onto phase two of the rollout, as well as continuing with second doses.

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The first of the three cohorts of people who can expect to be invited for a jab from April will be all those aged 40 to 49 years.

Independent advisers the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said an age-based delivery of the vaccine will lead to the fastest rollout, with people aged 30 to 39 years following.

Finally, JVCI says all those aged 18 to 29 years will be offered their first dose. Vaccines are given at six sites in Herefordshire, which include the five GP-led hubs in Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye, as well as the mass sites at Hereford’s Elgar House and the Three Counties Showground in Malvern.

Hereford Times: Elgar House off Holmer Road in HerefordElgar House off Holmer Road in Hereford

The Elgar House site, run by the Wye Valley NHS Trust, only opened its doors on February 2, but just over a month later, it celebrated jabbing 20,000 people. The moment when Tamara Moran had her jab was marked with flowers, chocolates, and applause.

Omni Calculator’s online tool predicts when people will get the vaccine and provides estimates on when people will get the jab, based on the current vaccination rate of 2.5m people per week.

Here’s what it says for when people aged 50 and below will get the vaccine.

It is based on the assumption each person has no underlying health conditions, is not shielding and does not work in the social or healthcare industries.

40 to 49

The calculator says based on a 75 per cent uptake of the vaccine, there are between 3.8million and 8.6m people ahead of you in the queue for a first dose.

Based on the latest vaccination rate, you you should expect to receive your first dose of vaccine between 06/04/2021 and 02/05/2021.

You should then get your second dose by between 29/06/2021 and 25/07/2021.

30 to 39

Based on a 75 per cent uptake of the vaccine, there are between 8.6m and 13.6m people in front of you in the queue for a first dose.

You should expect to receive your first dose of vaccine between 02/05/2021 and 30/05/2021.

You should then get your second dose by between 25/07/2021 and 22/08/2021.

18 to 29

Based on an uptake of 75 per cent, there are between 13.6m and 19.3m people in front of you in the queue for a first dose.

You should expect to receive your first dose of vaccine between 30/05/2021 and 01/07/2021.

You should then get your second dose by between 22/08/2021 and 23/09/2021.

16 and 17

Based on an uptake of 75 per cent, there are between 19.3m and 22.3m people in front of you in the queue for a first dose.

You should expect to receive your first dose of vaccine between 01/07/2021 and 16/07/2021.

You should then get your second dose by between 23/09/2021 and 08/10/2021.

Ministers are pushing ahead with the vaccine rollout in the UK despite several European countries suspending the use of the AstraZeneca jab amid fears it is causing blood clots. 

Experts insist there is no link between the jab and blood-clotting. 

Around 11m doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been administered in the UK so far.