One year on from the UK's first vaccine being administered, more than three million have been given in Kent.

In the UK, more than 118 million jabs have been handed out to the public, including just under 21 million boosters in recent months.

In Kent and Medway 3,244,404 vaccines – including first and second doses – have been administered.

Just over 511,000 boosters have been handed out to residents who live under Kent County Council's jurisdiction, while more than 73,000 have been given in Medway.

Despite the high figures the process of administering the vaccine in Kent hasn't always been plain sailing.

Last month hundreds of elderly residents from Sheerness were left waiting for a jab in Tesco car park for three hours in the bitter cold.

The week before they received a last-minute text telling them the jab team would be at Tesco's Sheerness store from 10am.

But they weren't told they would have to queue in the car park in bitingly cold 7C temperatures and be exposed to freezing wind from the North Sea. At one stage, at least one person collapsed from the cold.

A furious James Jayes, 61, who queued for two hours on Friday before quitting, stormed: "The whole thing was very poorly thought out and an absolute shambles. It was beyond belief.

"On the television, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging people to get their booster and we are shown people being vaccinated in warm halls. On Sheppey, we were at the mercy of the elements."

Plans for the Army to intervene and help set up vaccination centres due to the rising number of the Omicron variant are also in place, with people being told to they are set to "pop up like Christmas trees".

Speaking at a press conference at the end of November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced army personnel would be brought in to help support the drive to give millions of people aged over 18 a booster jab before the end of January.

'Let's not give this virus a second chance...'

He said boosters would be offered in five year age group bands, with jabs offered at pharmacy sites and temporary vaccination centres.

And while he admitted many would feel a "sense of exhaustion," he added: "that's the wrong thing to feel as our position today is immeasurably better than it was a year ago.

"We are taking precautionary measures while our scientist crack the Omicron code.

"Whenever your turn comes, get your booster and ask your friends and family to do the same. It's time for another great British vaccination effort.

"We've done it before and we'll do it again. Let's not give this virus a second chance."

As of Tuesday evening Kent had a case rate of 608.9 per 100,000, compared to the average in England which is 481.8.

Ashford currently has the highest case rate in the county, as well as the fourth highest in the country, while Maidstone has the lowest in the county.