Nearly one in five people aged 80 and over in London were yet to have their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine at the start of this week, new figures suggest.

An estimated 81.2% of those aged 80 and over in the capital had received their first jab up to February 14, according to provisional figures from NHS England.

This is the lowest proportion for any region.

The estimate for the whole of England is 93.4%.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on February 14 that everyone in England in the top four priority groups, including those aged 80 and over, had been offered the vaccine.

The Department of Health said many people will have booked their appointments for this week or a future date convenient to them and that the statistics in the weeks going forward will provide a clearer picture.

They also said there can be a number of reasons why someone who has been offered a vaccine might not have come forward to get it yet, including if they have Covid-19 at the time.

The spokesman added that uptake so far has been higher than anticipated.

Martin Machray, joint chief nurse for the NHS in London, said: “We are continuing to reach out to eligible groups, working with local authorities, care homes, faith and community groups and others to encourage uptake of the safe, effective vaccines which will help save lives.”

The south-west of England had the highest estimated first doses given by Sunday, at 97.9%.

The figures for the rest of the country were north-east England/Yorkshire 95.1%, the Midlands 94.6%, south-east England 94.2%, north-west England 93.6%, eastern England 93.6%.