Three-quarters of UK adults receive dose of COVID-19 vaccine

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - Three-quarters of all adults in the UK have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Wednesday.

Hancock’s confirmation came during a speech in Oxford, England.

"As of midnight last night, I can confirm that we now have given a first dose of vaccine to three-quarters of the adult population of the United Kingdom," he said.

Hancock said vaccine confidence in the country has been "sky high."

"We continue to top the list of places where people are willing to take, or have taken, a Covid vaccine," he said.

"I am aware that this isn't a vaccine world cup -- different nations don't compete for one prize, we know that when everyone is safe we're all going to be the winners."

Hancock said “vaccine confidence is an international challenge and one that takes international action.”

According to the latest figures, over 65 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the UK, while 39,477,158 people have received the first dose of a vaccine and 25,734,719 of those were given the second dose.

The UK recorded zero COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday for the first time since July 30 last year.

The country has suffered the worst death toll in Europe with more than 170,000 fatalities in the pandemic.