CHESHIRE NHS bosses are confident of being able to vaccinate all adults by the end of July.

But Clare Watson, Accountable Officer of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group - which is responsible for running the roll-out - admits the "big challenge" will come when the vaccination centres and GP-led services move on to the 16 to 49 age group.

Latest NHS England data shows that more than three-quarters of Cheshire and Merseyside's over-65 population have had their first jab.

That figure comprises 77 per cent of 65-69 year olds being completed, 96 per cent of those aged 70-74, 98 per cent of the 75-79 age bracket, and 94 per cent of 80-plus year olds. 14 per cent of over-80s have had both doses.

Ms Watson told Cheshire West's Covid-19 Outbreak Board today (Wednesday): "We are confident in terms of capacity, in terms of primary care network sites, and in terms of vaccination centres that we have the right capacity overall.

"The big challenge is cohort 10, which is 16-49 year olds by July 31. We understand that that cohort is going to be age-stratified and risk-stratified in the coming weeks because they do not want to open it up in one go.

"We are on track to deliver that. We have got great workers and lots of capacity to vaccinate patients.

"They will all be offered their vaccine by the end of July."

In Cheshire alone, 37 per cent of all over-16s have now had their first dose of the jab.

Cheshire West Council Chief Executive Andrew Lewis has revealed that the borough has reached the 100,000 landmark for people vaccinated, helped by a capacity of 2,000 cases per day at the Chester racecourse site.

Across England, 15,441,149 doses have been delivered as of February 21, the data shows.