Matt Hancock predicts 'happy and free Great British summer' with most adults vaccinated
1 February 2021, 10:14 | Updated: 1 February 2021, 15:28
The Health Secretary has expressed hope that we will be able to enjoy summer this year following a successful vaccine rollout.
Matt Hancock has said he is hoping for a 'happy and free Great British summer' with the 'vast majority' of adults receiving their Covid vaccination within six months.
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In an interview with BBC Politics East, the Health Secretary predicted that that people in Britain would be able to enjoy the return of some freedoms this summer, but did not discuss whether overseas holidays might be possible.
He said: "In six months we'll be in the middle, I hope, of a happy and free Great British summer – I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.
"That’s not just the clinically vulnerable groups but then going to all groups, people like me, I’m in my 40s and healthy and we’ll have got through everybody.
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"That will give a high level of protection. The more people take up the vaccine the more we’ll be protected as a society…
"So I think we’re going to have a great summer but we’re going to have a tough few months between now and then."
Mr Hancock refused to say when lockdown restrictions may start to be eased, and there has been no official confirmation on this.
Almost nine million people have so far received their jab in the UK, with 15 million due to be offered on by mid-February.
By the end of April, 32 million people will have been offered the vaccine, including everyone over the age of 50.
After that time, around 21 million adults will be left to be offered the jab.
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