Vaccination against Covid in Andover is set to be “ramped up” next week after the government announced plans to give the jab to almost 14 million people by mid-February.

The Lights Theatre, which is acting as the main Covid vaccination centre in Andover, will be providing the vaccine to people for seven days a week starting on Tuesday, January 12. The centre is currently open for three days this week.

Councillor Phil North, the leader of Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC), noted however that the increased programme “is, of course, dependent on sufficient deliveries of vaccine.”

The Lights Theatre was announced as a vaccination site back in December, with its size making it suitable to house the refrigeration units needed for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the only one available at the time, which must be stored at -75˚C.

Since then, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has also gained approval from UK regulators, and can be stored in a regular fridge.

It started handing out its first doses on December 22, when Andover resident Mary Jackson was the first to have the jab in the town.

The news follows an announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson that the most vulnerable groups in the vaccination schedule, including care home residents and workers, NHS frontline staff and those aged over 70, should receive their dose by mid-February.

To vaccinate these groups, around 13.9 million people, the number of vaccines given will need to be significantly increased from its current level to around two million per week. This is more than all the people in the country who have currently been vaccinated – 1.3 million.

Partly, this will be achieved by giving those being vaccinated a first dose as soon as possible, with up to a 12-week delay before they receive a second dose. This has proved controversial, with some questioning the policy which has not been subject to trials beforehand.