Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights: Vaccines

Over 15 million people aged 50 years and over have received an autumn booster in England as of 23 January 2023. More than four months after the start of the autumn booster rollout, the majority of those in the oldest age groups last received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three to six months ago now. Adults aged 55 to 64 years are most likely to have received a vaccine in the last three months.

Over 9 in 10 people aged 12 years and over in the UK had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, nearly 9 in 10 had received two doses and around 7 in 10 had received three or more doses by the end of August 2022.

Rates for unvaccinated adults were higher for Black Caribbean, Black African and White Other ethnic groups. Rates were also higher for those living in deprived areas, who have never worked or are long-term unemployed, who are limited a lot by a disability, who identify as Muslim or as having an “Other Religion”, or who are male (October 2022).

In England, 15,068,951 people aged 50 years and over had received an autumn booster by 23 January 2023. Nearly 30,000 received their autumn booster in the latest seven-day period (17 to 23 January 2023). This is a decrease from the previous seven-day period (over 47,000 autumn boosters, 10 to 16 January 2023).

All adults aged between 50 and 64 years were offered the autumn booster from 14 October 2022. Before this, boosters were being offered to residents and staff of care homes for older people, frontline health and social care workers, all adults aged 65 years and over, those aged 5 years and over in a clinical risk group, those aged 5 years and over who live with an immunosuppressed individual, and those aged 16 years and over who are carers.

More information can be found in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) statement. This chart uses the vaccination data from the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard which includes only those aged 50 years and over. This differs to the data from NHS England which includes those aged under 50 years, for example health care workers and immunosuppressed individuals.

Last updated: 27 January 2023

Read more about this on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard

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The length of time since people were last vaccinated varies by age group. More older people have received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the last three months than younger people. However, the proportions in the oldest age groups have started to decline, as an increasing number of older people received their autumn booster more than three months ago now.

More than four months after the start of the autumn booster rollout, the majority of those aged 80 years and over (72.1%), 75 to 79 years (72.6%), 70 to 74 years (68.4%) and 65 to 69 years (59.6%) last received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three to six months ago.

Adults aged 60 to 64 years (22.3%) and 55 to 59 years (22.6%) have the highest proportions of people last vaccinated in the last three months.

For adults aged under 50 years, the majority of people were last vaccinated for COVID-19 at least six months ago. In those aged 45 to 49 years, 66.4% were last vaccinated at least six months ago, compared with 12.7% of those aged 80 years and over. This reflects younger age groups not being eligible for the autumn booster in 2022.

Children aged 5 to 11 years are most likely to be unvaccinated (89.2%) and adults aged 75 to 79 years (4.3%) are least likely to be unvaccinated. Vaccinations for those aged 5 to 11 years who are not in a clinical risk group are optional, whereas they were recommended for other groups.

This chart uses data from the National Immunisation Management Service (NIMS), which shows the number of people vaccinated as a proportion of the living resident population of England.

Last updated: 27 January 2023

Read more about this in the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports.

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The proportion of people aged 18 years and over who were unvaccinated in October 2022 was highest for those identifying as Black Caribbean (39.5%), followed by those identifying as White Other (25.8%) and Black African (25.6%). The lowest proportions of unvaccinated adults were in the White British (8.8%) and Indian (9.7%) ethnic groups.

This is also reflected in rates for people aged 18 years and over receiving two or three COVID-19 vaccinations, where the lowest proportions were for those identifying as Black Caribbean (57.5% have received two vaccinations and 39.2% have received three vaccinations). Those identifying as White British had the highest proportions receiving two vaccinations (89.4%) and three vaccinations (77.6%).

The proportion of adults who were unvaccinated was also higher for those:

• living in more deprived areas, urban areas, or social rented housing

• who were not born in the UK or did not have English as a main language

• who have never worked or are long-term unemployed

• who are limited a lot by a disability

• who identify as Muslim or as having an “Other Religion”

• who are male

Last updated: 9 December 2022

Find out more in our Coronavirus and vaccination rates in people aged 18 years and over by socio-demographic characteristic and region, England dataset

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In the UK by the end of August 2022, of those aged 12 years and over:

• 93.6% had received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine

• 88.2% had received a second dose

• 70.2% had received three or more doses

This chart uses the vaccination uptake data from the GOV.UK Dashboard, which shows the number of vaccinations given to people of all ages as a proportion of the population aged 12 years and over.

First and second dose rates overestimate uptake. They include vaccinations given to children aged between 5 and 11 years but are shown as a proportion of the population aged 12 years and over.

Rates for three or more doses underestimate uptake. Not everyone aged 12 years and over is able to receive three or more doses. Only a small proportion of people aged under 16 years who are at a greater risk from COVID-19 can receive three or more doses. However, the figures provide a reasonable estimate of the proportion of those who can get a COVID-19 vaccine that have been vaccinated.

Last updated: 5 October 2022

Read more about this on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard

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On this page we present official vaccination records reported on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard. We also present attitudes towards vaccination from our Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) and vaccination status by characteristic.

To find out more about vaccination data from different sources visit our more information page.

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Related links

• Visit our cost of living latest insights tool to find out the latest data and trends about the cost of living.

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