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More than 50,000 in Norfolk and Waveney have had second Covid jab
A Covd vaccine being administered at Castle Quarter in Norwich - Credit: Danielle Booden
Another 20,000 people in Norfolk and Waveney have received second doses of the coronavirus vaccine during the latest seven-day period.
Fresh figures published by NHS England show 21,726 follow-up injections were administered in the week to March 28.
It means a total of 53,788 patients now have substantial protection against the effects of Covid-19.
People have this week been urged to accept invitations for second doses, even if they experienced side-effects from the first.
And, encouragingly, nearly a third of over-80s - the oldest group on the government's priority list - have already been given their second level of protection (32.9pc).
In the context of Norfolk and Waveney's overall adult population, which stands at 851,948, the proportion of people who have had both shots is 6.3pc.
Health bosses warned in recent weeks of a "significant reduction" in the availability of jabs throughout April due to to delayed shipments from overseas.
But NHS England reassured patients that there would be enough supply to honour scheduled second doses and said those appointments would be "protected".
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The sharp rise in second vaccines being given out in Norfolk - up from 8,480 last week - is reflected by a decline in the amount of first doses administered during the latest period.
Another 38,338 initial shots were given in the seven days up to March 28, down from 59,879.
That takes the total number of first doses administered in the area to 555,217, almost two thirds of the adult population (65.2pc).
Norfolk and Waveney therefore has the third-highest vaccination rate out of 43 health systems in the country, behind only Dorset (68.1pc) and Somerset (66.8pc).
Broken down by local authority, North Norfolk's rate sees it remain top of the pile across the entire nation (69.4pc), while Norwich is down in 263rd place out of 314 districts (45.4pc).
The coastal district does, however, have a significantly older population than the county town.
In terms of more specific neighbourhoods, Heacham and Snettisham - in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough - has the best vaccination rate in Norfolk and Waveney, at 75.6pc.
Mundesley, Trunch and Bacton is the next best, on 75.3pc.