HEALTH boss Steve Maddern welcomed impressive vaccination figures for the area but said those who have had the Covid-19 jab must still follow the rules.

More than nine in 10 people aged 65 and over in Swindon, Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
NHS data shows 252,011 people in the CCG area had received their first jab by February 21.

Of those, 171,407 were aged 65 or over – equating to 94 per cent of the population in that age group, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

But Swindon director of public health Mr Maddern said: “What we need to remember is, in regard to vaccination, the majority of our population has only had a single dose, so they are not fully protected yet. 

“It’s really important that if you’re vaccinated you still need to play by the rules. And it’s the same with lateral flow testing, it’s very much a snapshot in time, so although you may be testing negative, it’s still not a reason to no longer social distance.”