All adults can get vaccinated against coronavirus in the UK Today

Adults aged 18 and over in the UK were invited to have their first Covid-19 shot in what the NHS described as a "crucial moment"

About 1.5 million messages will be sent to people deemed to meet the criteria for adults aged 18 to 20 years on Friday.

PM Boris Johnson said accelerating the program was "one of our country's greatest achievements"

It comes at a time when studies have found the epidemic is growing across the country, with most of the increase driven by young people.

On Thursday, a further 11,007 Covid-19 cases were reported, the highest daily increase since February 19, while another 19 deaths were also recorded.

The government has set a new target of offering the first dose to all adults on July 19 and the second dose to two-thirds for those over the age of 40.

The prime minister said: "Offering to all adults the injection less than 200 days after the program was launched is one of our nation's greatest collective achievements, saving more than 14,000 lives so far." He added reaching the next stage of the program would see "the vaccine accelerated in their race with the virus" and called on people to "get the job done" by coming forward to their jab. NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said health services were "providing the final push to protect the country".

"This is truly a defining moment. Whoever you are, wherever you live, if you are 18 years and over and you haven't ordered your Covid jab, today should be the day you do it," he said.

"Just months after being given the world's first injection, the very hard working NHS staff have delivered over 60 million vaccinations in the UK, it has saved thousands of lives and gave the whole country hope for a brighter future."

As of Wednesday more than four in five adults had received the first dose of the vaccine, while 58.2% - or 30.68 million people - had now been fully vaccinated. the media have been told that the decision to vaccinate all 12 to 17 year olds is unlikely to be recommended by UK vaccine experts any time soon.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) is expected to make a statement on this issue in the coming days. Speaking at the NHS Confed Conference on Thursday, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said there was now a "further massive rise" of the coronavirus, with its height "still uncertain".

He said he expected "further winter movement" and said he thought the new variant might cause booster shots or revaccination to be needed. over the next two to three years.

How to register your jab

• In the UK people can register for their vaccinations online or by calling 119.
• Elsewhere in the UK, people aged 30 and over can get their vaccine in Scotland, although in parts of Glasgow people aged 18 and over can get the first shot.
• In Wales, people aged 18 and over can get the vaccine, with the Welsh government announcing that all adults had been offered the vaccine earlier this week.
• In Northern Ireland, people aged 18 and over can register online or call 0300 200 7813.