BORIS Johnson has set out his plan for rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations to more than 15 million people in the UK by mid February.

In his latest Downing Street briefing, the Prime Minister said today that the nation had a right to know how the Government intended to "crack the problem" of rolling out covid vaccinations.

He said that by February 15, everybody in the "priority groups" would be protected.

"You want to know that we in Government, the NHS, the armed forces, local and regional government, government at every level, are truly throwing everything at it - round the clock if necessary," he said. "You have a right to understand exactly how we're cracking this problem and how the national vaccine effort is progressing.

"You rightly want to know how we're reaching the target that I set out this week, of offering a slot for vaccination by February 15 for everyone in those key groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

"That's over 12 million people in England and 15 million in the UK, including all care home residents and staff; everyone 70 or over; all front-line NHS and care staff; and all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.

"Just to remind you of the importance of these groups for fighting the disease: they account for 88 per cent of all those who have sadly lost their lives. Our tactics are first to use the immense natural capacity of the NHS."

By the end of the week, he said, there will be more than 1,000 GP-led sites providing vaccines; 223 hospital sites; several giant vaccination centres and a first wave of community pharmacies

"If all goes well," he said, "these together should have the capacity to deliver hundreds of thousands of vaccines per day by January 15; and it's our plan that everyone should have a vaccine available within a radius of ten miles.

"Let's be clear: this is a national challenge on a scale like nothing we've seen before and it will require and unprecedented national effort.

"Of course, there will be difficulties; appointments will be changed but... the Army is working hand-in-glove with the NHS and local councils to set up our vaccine network and using battle preparation techniques to help us keep up the pace."