People aged 36 and over will be invited to receive their first coronavirus vaccine jab from Wednesday, NHS England confirmed.

People will receive text messages inviting them for their vaccine as the rollout gathers pace.

Along with 37-year-olds who will receive invites from Tuesday, it means more than a million more people will be made eligible.

NHS national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: “Bookings for the fastest and most successful NHS vaccination programme in history continue to surge with more than 930,000 appointments made in a matter of days since opening up to 38 and 39 year olds.

“With well over 30 million first doses of vital protection against coronavirus delivered just six months into the NHS vaccination drive, the NHS is able to open up to 36 and 37 year olds as the programme continues at pace.

“On the advice of the Government and JCVI people aged 50 and over and the clinically vulnerable are having their second doses brought forward to counter the spread of the Indian variant.

“Nobody needs to contact the NHS. You will be told how to rebook if you need to.

“Getting vaccinated is the most important step we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities against Covid-19, so when it is your turn to get your first or second dose please do so.”

Confirmation comes after Matt Hancock said people aged 37 will be offered the vaccine from Tuesday and this will be expanded further “later in the week”.

Mr Hancock told the Commons: “The data suggests that the vaccine has already saved over 12,000 lives and prevented over 33,000 people from being hospitalised.

“We are protecting people at a very rapid pace. Last week was the biggest week of vaccinations since the end of March. 36 million people have now had a first dose and yesterday we reached the milestone of 20 million people having had their second dose across the UK.

“I am delighted to see the figures released by YouGov today which show that the UK has the highest vaccination enthusiasm in the world – with 90% of people saying that they have had or will have the jab.”

The Health Secretary continued: “From tomorrow, I can confirm that we will be inviting people aged 37 to come forward before expanding this further later in the week.”

Mr Hancock added that people taking up their offer of a vaccine “will help us all get out of this pandemic”.

He said: “It has been really heartening, I am sure the whole House will agree, to see the videos that have been published over the weekend of people queuing up to get the jab.

“To anyone who feels hesitant, not just in Bolton or Blackburn, but to anyone who feels hesitant about getting the vaccine right across the country, just look at what is happening in Bolton Hospital where the majority of people in hospital with coronavirus were eligible for the jab but have chosen not yet to have the jab and have ended up in hospital – some of them in intensive care.

“Vaccines save lives, they protect you, they protect your loved ones and they will help us all get out of this pandemic.”