New analysis suggests the vaccination programme has prevented between 6.4 and 7.9 million infections and 26,000 and 28,000 deaths in England alone.

This is the first analysis giving an estimated number of vaccine-prevented infections, providing further evidence of the staggering impact of the vaccination programme so far.

The results were produced using the PHE and Cambridge real-time pandemic surveillance model, looking at the direct and indirect impact of the vaccination programme on infections and mortality.

The total was calculated by comparing the estimated impact of vaccination on infection and mortality against a worst-case scenario where no vaccines were in place to reduce infections and mortality.

Dr Mary Ramsay, PHE Head of Immunisation, said: “These findings remind us once again why getting both doses of your vaccine is the most important thing you can do to stop the spread of this terrible disease. As well as preventing the deaths of tens of thousands from Covid-19, for the first time we can now appreciate the huge impact that the vaccines have had on stopping people getting infected, and therefore passing the virus on to others.”