All Lincolnshire care home residents aged over 65 have now been vaccinated.

Lincolnshire's NHS and its partners have now met the first of the national target dates in the vaccination programme and protected the highest percentage of its care home residents across the Midlands region.

County GP Dr Sunil Hindocha said: "This is a magnificent achievement by our primary care teams throughout Lincolnshire, working alongside Lincolnshire County Council, our social care and voluntary sector colleagues and many more to protect the most vulnerable in the county.

"We hope Lincolnshire's public will join us in extending a huge thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to give us such a great start, as we now focus on completing the vaccination of all Lincolnshire's current priority groups."

Melanie Weatherley MBE, Chair, Lincolnshire Care Association, said: "We are particularly proud that in Lincolnshire we have achieved the first target within the covid-19 vaccination programme.

"The objective of reaching each and every one of our 202 eligible care homes was particularly challenging in the county.

"We have 40% more care homes to visit than some of our neighbouring counties, and they are located across an area than covers 40% of the East Midlands alone, so this is a significant milestone for the people of Lincolnshire, and one that is so important to the care home staff and residents that we have visited to protect."

Coun Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, Linconshire County Council's Executive Councillor for Adult Care, said: "The most rewarding part of this achievement is the impact it will have. Reaching our most vulnerable residents has been the priority of this vaccination programme, and we know that, for every 20 vaccinations given in a care home, a life is saved.

"We are immensely proud to have played such an important part in the fight against this pandemic in the county to date, and are committed to continuing the good work."

Note: The government asked local NHS systems to vaccinate all of their care home population by 24th January. Performance in relation to this has now been confirmed nationally.

· All eligible older adult care home residents and staff have now been offered their first dose vaccination in the county. They will also receive their second dose at their care home.

· As is the case nationally, some care home residents and staff are yet to receive their vaccination, due to prohibiting factors such as localised outbreaks in effect. Individuals affected will be contacted once these factors no longer impact delivery.

· For more information on the county's Covid vaccination programme, please visit lincolnshireccg.nhs.uk