Birthday card with the words "Sorry you're so old, but at least you'll get the vaccine faster", with an illustration of a filled syringe, refering to the COVID-19 vaccine, designed by Soula Zavacopoulos, sold by Moonpig, 2021

“The card made me laugh when I opened it, it was from my younger brother. Even though it didn’t have 60 on it, it was obvious to me he’d sent it as I was moving up on the priority list for vaccinations, and that I was now officially old!” – David Evans

The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine in the United Kingdom is based on priority groups. In December 2020, COVID-19 vaccines were first offered to residents in care homes for older adults and their carers, people aged over 80, and frontline health and social care workers. The remaining population is offered the vaccine according to age and existing health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19. Age is one of the biggest factors of dying from COVID-19.

53 million adults, all those over the age of 18 in the United Kingdom, are expected to be offered the first dose of a vaccine by 31 July 2021. The Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advise on the priority list and the length between doses (between 3 and twelve weeks).