Half of adults in Worcestershire have had a Covid booster vaccine.

The race to get the county triple-jabbed has reached the 50% milestone according to the latest figures from Worcestershire County Council.

Malvern is leading the way in Worcestershire, with 61% of those aged 18 and over having been boosted or received their third dose of the vaccine.

That’s likely to be, in part, because of the vaccination centre at the Three Counties Showground, which has been pushing to do as many third doses or boosters as possible.

Redditch has the lowest percentage of people boosted in the county at 38%, with Worcester only just ahead at 40%.

Across the UK, the percentage of people aged 12 and over who’ve had a booster or third dose of the vaccine is at 56.5%. While Worcestershire appears to be a few percentage points behind the national average, it’s worth bearing in the UK-wide figures are more up-to-date than those for local authority areas.

With pharmacies working over the Christmas weekend to deliver the vaccine, there were 22,983 new boosters or third doses recorded on Boxing Day.

Double-jabbed adults who haven’t had a booster yet are encouraged to get one, as long as it’s been at least three months since their second jab.

There are walk-in appointments available at four locations in Worcestershire this week and into the new year.

The Artrix in Bromsgrove, Heart of Worcestershire College (St Wulstan’s Building), St Peter’s Baptist Church in Worcester and Malvern’s Three Counties Showground are all open from 8am to 8pm on December 28, 29 and 30.

Heart of Worcestershire College is open 10am-4pm on December 31, Three Counties Showground is open 7.30am-3.30pm and St Peter’s 8am-8pm on New Year’s Eve.

All are closed on New Year’s Day but there will be walk-ins available at the Artrix from 8am to 2pm on January 2, and at Heart of Worcestershire College from 8am to 4pm.