USE of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine began across England today, with a 28-year-old solicitor with underlying health conditions becoming the first recipient. 

The rollout followed regulators saying that people under 30 should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, since there was a possible link between that jab and “extremely rare” blood clots.

The NHS website for booking vaccine appointments temporarily crashed today after people aged over 45 were offered jabs. 

The Vaccines Taskforce has secured 17 million doses of the Moderna vaccine for Britain and the north of Ireland, enough for 8.5 million people. It has already been introduced in Wales and Scotland.

The committee advising ministers on vaccine use will look “very carefully” at data on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after US health authorities recommended that its rollout be paused. Britain has 30 million doses on order, but it has not yet been signed off for use.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has insisted that Britain remains on track to offer a Covid-19 vaccine to all adults by the end of July.