SUSSEX is lagging behind most of the country in giving vaccinations to the over 80s, according to latest analysis.

Less than half of pensioners in the category had received a single jab in the Sussex and East Surrey area as of January 17.

The figure of over 80s in the area given at least one dose was 46.9 per cent.

That is compared to the most successful regions, Gloucestershire, which had seen 85.3 per cent vaccinated, and Northamptonshire and Worcestershire, in which 85.3 per cent had been given a dose.

Sussex and East Surrey also lagged behind in the share of over 80s who had received two doses.

The area had given the doses to 6.9 per cent of the population, according to analysis from the Health Service Journal.

Israeli data from the Pfizer vaccine showed only 33 percent efficacy after just one dose.

Professor Chris Whitty defended the decision to delay offering a second vaccine jab, arguing it allowed for more people to be offered a level of immunity against Covid-19 by getting the first jab.

England’s chief medical officer said it was still the plan to offer people two doses of the vaccine because the follow-up injection is understood to boost the length of time that someone is protected for against the virus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the lifting of lockdown rules in England remains a “long, long, long way” off despite another record day in the rollout of the vaccine programme.

He said progress towards vaccinating the top four priority groups by February 15 is “on track”.

READ MORE: Council to ask Health Secretary Matt Hancock for more funds

Mr Hancock said that 6.6 million had now received a jab, more than 1 in 9 of the adult population, and in the last week 2.5 million got a vaccine, at a rate of more than 250 people per minute.

And, he said, 78.7 per cent of over-80s have received a jab.

Mr Hancock told the Downing Street press conference: “We’re on track to offer everyone in the top four priority groups a jab by February 15.”

The Argus:

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in England stood at 32,938 as of 8am on Monday January 25, according to the latest figures from NHS England.

This is down 4 per cent on a week ago, and is the third day in a row that the number has fallen week-on-week. Speaking at the Downing Street press conference Mr Hancock highlighted that there were 37,000 people in hospital with coronavirus, which he said was “almost twice as many as at the first peak back in April”.

He also noted there are “more people on ventilators than at any time in this whole pandemic”.

He added: “The pressure on the NHS remains huge.”

and we’ve got to get that case rate down. Of course I understand the yearning people have to get out of this.

“The thing is that we have to look at the facts on the ground and we have to monitor those facts.

“And of course, everybody wants to have a timeline for that, but I think most people understand why it is difficult to put a timeline on it because it’s a matter of monitoring the data, and in fact this is a state-contingent and not a time-contingent question.”