More than 94 per cent of people across Lancashire aged 70 and over have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The latest available figures for each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in the county show that 94.1 per cent, or 50,163 of over 70s in East Lancashire have had their first dose, as well as 94.7 per cent, or 14,425 of over 70s in Blackburn with Darwen.

Chorley and South Ribble CCG has the highest uptake of the vaccine with 24,976 people or 98.5 per cent of over 70s having had their first dose.

The figures are based on provisional data from NHS England for vaccinations up to February 14.

The following list of Lancashire's eight CCGs is ordered by percentage, starting with the lowest, and reads, from left to right: name of CCG; number of people aged 70 and over resident in the CCG who have received their first dose; estimated percentage of people aged 70 and over resident in the CCG who have received their first dose.

NHS East Lancashire CCG: 50,163 = 94.1%

NHS Blackpool CCG: 19,940, = 94.5%

NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG: 14,425 = 94.7%

NHS Morecambe Bay CCG: 55,180 = 96.3%

NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG: 39,001 = 96.7%

NHS West Lancashire CCG: 18,213 = 97.1%

NHS Greater Preston CCG: 25,016 = 97.2%

NHS Chorley and South Ribble CCG: 24,976 = 98.5%

Blackburn with Darwen's public health boss, Prof. Dominic Harrison said: "By November 2021, we should have all cohorts vaccinated, except those under 16 years.

"We will still be chasing 10-15 per cent of the population who have refused vaccination or been missed.

"Covid19 will be an endemic disease in some communities - with regular, but manageable outbreaks likely for the next 10 years.

"Across the UK as a whole, Covid may be seen as a ‘circulating winter virus’ generating illness and some early deaths – largely in people in their last year of life, or ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’."

There are 135 CCGs in England, and they commission most of the hospital and community NHS services in the local areas for which they are responsible.