CUMBRIA'S health boss expects vaccines could be diverted to other areas after the county performed well in administering the jabs.

Director of public health Colin Cox said he could see supplies being used in other areas to help them catch up to Cumbria, with vaccination of the county's most vulnerable groups 'pretty much done'.

Both of the health care systems serving Cumbria have ranked in the top five in the country for rates of vaccines administered.

Data published last week showed that 75 per cent of over 80s in the South Cumbria and Lancashire region had received the jab, the fourth highest in the country.

The North Cumbria and North East region was behind in fifth.

Mr Cox is expecting supplies to be delivered in great numbers to other area to allow them to catch up.

He said: "Cumbria's been dong incredibly well.

"The 80+ age group is pretty much done with a couple of exceptions.

"Cumbria is moving very fast into the next cohorts."

On whether supplies could be diverted, he said: "That would be my expectation because Cumbria has a high rate of success in those two groups.

"In order to make sure the most vulnerable are vaccinated I would expect the flow of vaccine is adjusted to account for that.

"It's a national programme and we are delivering as fast as we can."

All those 75 and over and all those all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals will be the next groups to receive the jab.

Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England’s medical director of primary care, has confirmed that the diversion of vaccines is taking place.

It came after reports suggest that high-performing Yorkshire and the North East would lose out on supplies to allow other areas to ramp up vaccine delivery.

A new vaccination hub to serve residents in Morecambe Bay is due to open in Kendal soon.

Work is under way to transform the Westmorland Shopping Centre into the mass vaccination hub.

Jane Scattergood, the Covid-19 vaccination director for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System, said it would be opening in the next few weeks.

Mr Cox said that Covid rates were continuing to drop in the county but hospitals were still under great pressure.

"We are hoping the peak is round about now for hospital admissions," he said.

"It's still very stretched in the county.

"It looks as if cases have peak in north Cumbria hospitals but are rising in the south."