Over-25s on the Isle of Wight are being called forward to get their Covid-19 vaccination from Tuesday, the Health Secretary has announced.

More than 174,000 vaccinations have been administered on the Island since the national drive started in December.

Matt Hancock said people aged 25 to 29 will be invited to book their jab as he signalled the start of the final stage of the vaccination programme.

Under-30s are the final cohort on the vaccine priority list.

The NHS hailed the “home straight” of the biggest vaccination programme in its history, which launched just six months ago.

Grandmother Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab outside of a clinical trial.

The 91-year-old retired jewellery shop assistant made history when she received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Coventry on December 8, 2020.

Isle of Wight County Press: Health Secretary Matt Hancock.Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Mr Hancock told MPs: "From tomorrow morning we will open up vaccination to people aged 25-29. Over the remainder of this week the NHS will send texts to people in these age groups and of course GPs will be inviting people on their lists to come forward.”

The Riverside Centre, in Newport, which is led by Solent NHS Trust, will have an alternative to the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine available shortly.

Alison Smith, managing director for Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Thanks to the dedication and skill of those working across all our vaccination sites on the island, and the positive response of the island community, we have done a fantastic job in vaccinating so many people.

“If you can’t find an appointment via the NBS, then please do keep trying as more slots will become available over the coming days and weeks.

“We thank everyone for their patience and for doing an incredible job in supporting this milestone vaccination drive."