The effects of Covid vaccine supply constraints are being felt across Essex, where the number of first jabs being administered has dropped.

NHS data shows first doses of the vaccine are down across the county.

In Colchester 521 first doses of the vaccine were administered in Colchester in the week to April 11 – 2,997 fewer than the week before.

A similar pattern follows in Tendring where 442 first doses of the vaccine were administered in the same week – 542 fewer than the week before.

Both figures are also the lowest in the proceeding five weeks.

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Last month, NHS England warned the issues would mean priority would be given to those in the high-risk groups and for second doses.

A delay in deliveries from India and the need to retest a batch of 1.7 million doses is behind the supply issues.

Vaccine figures are also down in the Braintree and Maldon districts

In Braintree 694 first doses of the vaccine were administered, 3,003 fewer than the week before.

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In Maldon 210 first doses were given in the same week, 769 fewer.

However, the slowdown has not affected the ability to reach vaccine targets.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Our vaccination programme continues to make phenomenal progress – with over 40 million vaccines administered so far across the UK.

"We have hit our target to offer a vaccine to everyone in phase one of the vaccination programme and we are on track to offer a jab to all adults by the end of July.”

Across England, 355,000 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine were administered in the week to April 11 – the lowest number in five weeks and 47% fewer than the previous week.

But the number of people receiving a second dose of the jab increased by 608,000, to 2.1 million people.