Matt Hancock wrong about number of Bolton vaccinations

The people of Bolton have again risen to this challenge. The number of vaccinations happening in Bolton right now is phenomenal. Tens of thousands every single day.

Health secretary Matt Hancock claimed in the House of Commons on Thursday that “tens of thousands” of vaccinations were being administered in Bolton “every single day”. 

This is not true. Publicly available vaccination data for Bolton shows that the highest daily total of vaccine doses in total (both first and second), was 5,465 on 20 May, although since this date the figure has largely remained closer to 2,000.  

The highest number of people ever to get their first vaccine dose there in a single day was 3,911 on 18 May, and the highest number of second doses in a single day was 4,386, on 1 April. Bolton has become a focus point for “surge” vaccinations amid high numbers of Covid-19 cases, specifically those identified as variant of concern B.1.617.2, first identified in India.

Mr Hancock was referring to this effort as he spoke in the Commons. He said: “The number of vaccinations happening in Bolton right now is phenomenal—tens of thousands every single day. 

“It is heartening to see the queues of people coming forward both for testing and for vaccinations in Bolton.”

As of 26 May, 69.7% of over-18s in Bolton have had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, with 41.6% having had two doses, compared with 73.3% of over-18s in the UK as a whole having had their first dose and 45.6% having had their second. 

On Friday Dr Helen Wall, senior responsible officer for the Covid-19 vaccine programme in Bolton, and a member of the area’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), told Radio 4’s Today programme that Mr Hancock’s claims were “a little bit different to what we are seeing here”. 

Asked directly how many vaccines, in Dr Hall’s view, were currently being done in Bolton, she said: “I haven’t got the accurate figures to hand, but I would guesstimate based on the information on the ground that we’re looking at between about 2,000 to 3,000 a day being done here in Bolton, with potentially more on some days like the weekend.” 

Update: On 7 June Mr Hancock corrected his claim in Hansard, with his statement updated to: “What I would say to the people of Bolton is that they have again risen to this challenge. The number of vaccinations happening in Bolton right now is phenomenal—tens of thousands every single week.”

Bolton’s vaccination figures show that in the full week prior to Mr Hancock’s claim (Monday, 17 May to Sunday, 23 May), a total of 22,825 vaccines were administered. A total of 20,757 vaccine doses were given the week before (10 May to 16 May), and 13,038 the week before (3 May to 9 May).