MATT Hancock has expressed his frustration that some people are reulctant to get the Covid vaccine and urges everyone who is eligible to get the jab. 

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, the Health Secretary said the majority of people admitted to hospital in Bolton, which has seen the biggest outbreak of B1.617.2 variant, had been eligible for the jab but had not taken it up.

He revealed that vaccinations and testing had been “surged” across the town as he announced the jab would be offered to 36 and 37-year-olds from this week.

Mr Hancock said there were now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant in the UK, of which 483 were in Bolton and in Blackburn with Darwen.

In Royal Bolton Hospital 19 people have the virus. 

“The majority have not been vaccinated and, of them, most of them could have been vaccinated, which is frustrating to see, but is also a message to everyone,” Mr Hancock told MPs.

“It just reinforces the message that people should come forward and get vaccinated because that is the best way to protect everybody.”

In response, Mr Hancock said a rapid response team had been “surged” into the area to try to halt the spread of the variant, amid concerns it is more transmissible than the current dominant Kent strain.

It included the deployment of more than 50 additional vaccinators and the opening of two new vaccination centres and six testing centres.

Over the weekend, the rate of vaccination in Bolton quadrupled, with 6,200 people getting the jab.

“This is the biggest surge of resources into any specific local area we have seen in the pandemic so far,” Mr Hancock said.

He said that the figures for those in hospital suggested that the new variant had not so far penetrated the older, vaccinated population.

He stressed, however, that the variant was not confined to Bolton and Blackburn, with 86 local authorities now reporting five or more confirmed cases.

The next biggest area of concern was Bedford, where testing was also now being surged, he said.