MORE than 40 per cent of adults in north east Essex have been given the Covid-19 vaccination... and the rollout of second jabs is now set to start.

Clacton MP Giles Watling has welcomed the speedy roll out in Tendring, which has one of the oldest populations in the country.

Mr Watling said the vaccination programme had paved the way for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's roadmap to easing the lockdown.

Mr Watling said: "Our local system has given a first dose to 41 per cent of our adult population.

"This compares to the national position of one in three adults and places us in the top bracket of systems nationally.

"Last week, the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) started vaccinating cohort five (age 65-69) in a big way and have given a first dose to 85 per cent of those residents.

"It is expected that the local NHS will have largely completed this cohort by the end of this week - great news and a fantastic effort.

"That said, there are some small practices who are unable to facilitate home visits and these patients will be contacted by the Clinical Commissioning Group’s immunisation team.

"Encouragingly, all housebound patients in north east Essex area should have been offered their first Covid-19 vaccination."

It is understood that the rollout for the second jab is now about to start in the area.

The Covid vaccines are given in two doses, but due to the high level of protection afforded by the first dose, second jabs were delayed in order to vaccinate a greater number of people with a single dose, prevent more deaths and hospitalisations.

Mr Watling added: "Encouragingly, data from Public Health England shows the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides high levels of protection against infection and symptomatic disease from the first dose.

"Following the success of the vaccination rollout, the Prime Minister has now set out his roadmap for ending lockdown.

"This plan brings us cautiously but irreversibly out of these restrictions and keeps us all safe."