People aged 44 and over are now being invited to book their first Covid jab. 

It comes amid a Government initiative to get people under the age of 50 to get vaccinated against coronavirus. 

The “every vaccination gives us hope” campaign will see the launch of a TV advert which will showcase the health workers and volunteers involved in the vaccination rollout across the UK.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said the campaign will predominantly be aimed at people under the age of 50 who will be offered their first dose, as well as the over 50s who are booked in for their second dose, to encourage vaccine uptake.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Vaccines are helping us get back to doing the things we have missed – they protect you and those around you.

“This campaign is a remarkable and poignant reminder of everything we’ve been through as a country and everything we have to look forward to – as well as the tireless efforts of our volunteers, NHS heroes and the British people.

“Every vaccination gives us hope and I urge everyone to take up the offer of a vaccine when it comes, as we continue on the path back to normality.”

From today (Monday, April 26) in England, people aged 44 will be invited to book their jab, with NHS England saying around half a million 44-year-olds will receive a text inviting them to get their jab through the national booking service.

People aged 45 and over had previously been allowed to book a first jab before today.

Over the weekend, figures confirmed more than half of the UK’s total population has received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Government data up to April 24 shows that of the 46,253,754 jabs given in the UK so far, 33,666,638 were first doses – a rise of 142,215 on the previous day.

Meanwhile, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the first of nine plane-loads of life-saving kit – including ventilators and oxygen concentrators – would arrive in New Delhi, India, early on Tuesday.

The move follows discussions with the Indian government, with further consignments due be dispatched later this week.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “The aim is to provide the support that the Indians need at their hour of need, really, judging by the distressing scenes we’ve seen in many of the hospitals in India.

“There’ll be a series of other shipments. The first one goes out today and we’re in ongoing discussions with the Indian government about further things that they may or may not need.

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“We want to provide them all the support because they’re close friends, increasingly important partners, but also we need this kind of international collaboration if we’re going to get through the pandemic.

“We’re not going to be safe until we’re all safe.”

For the fourth straight day on Sunday, India set a global daily record for new infections, with another 349,691 confirmed cases.

It took the country’s total to more than 16.9 million, behind only the United States.

Boris Johnson, who had been due to visit India this week before the latest deadly wave of the pandemic forced him to cancel – has said the UK would do whatever it could to support the country through the crisis.