Sir David Attenborough, 94, and Brian Blessed, 84, both receive their first Covid vaccination jabs

Sir David Attenborough and Brian Blessed OBE have both received their first dose of the Covid vaccine.

Renowned broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David, 94, received the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab last week, according to the Sun. 

Meanwhile British actor, Blessed, 84, and his wife Hildegarde, were both pictured receiving the vaccine last night.

NHS Surrey Heath CCG posted a picture of the Flash Gordon star with his thumbs-up after receiving the jab. It is not clear which vaccine he received.

The clinical commissioning group said in their tweet: ‘Tonight Brian and Hildegarde Blessed joined the fight against Covid-19.

‘After receiving his Covid vaccination, Brian Blessed OBE thanked the NHS for saving his and his wife’s life.’

Blue Planet and Planet Earth narrator, Sir David, is believed to have had the Oxford vaccine following its roll-out last Monday, reports the Sun.

Last night a source told the paper: ‘Sir David was always keen to get vaccinated, and support both the current programme and the NHS.

‘Of course, as well as his family and loved ones, millions of animal fans across the globe will be delighted – this is brilliant news.’

The national treasure, who has recently returned to television screens with a new five-part BBC series of A Perfect Planet, earlier told the Telegraph he was keen to get the jab, saying: ‘At 94, I think I’m entitled!’

However, the veteran natural historian, previously admitted that the prospect of having jab made him a little squeamish but added: ‘I’m sufficient of a scientist still, I hope, to realise this is the thing to do.’ 

Sir David has also previously talked about the impact of the Covid pandemic on the world in a new BBC Radio 5 Live podcast named What Planet Are We On? … with Liz Bonnin. 

The broadcaster said he was frustrated by how the pandemic has delayed governments taking action on environmental issues.

He said: ‘It’s been a hindrance, we can’t pretend otherwise, it’s dislocated so many lives, it’s totally interrupted continuity of thoughts and arrangements and so on.

‘It’s a disaster for all of us. We’re losing time.’

Sir David’s inoculation comes after it was announced that the Queen, 94, and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, 99,  had been vaccinated against Covid.

The Monarch and Prince Philip joined the more than 2million people across Britain who have been given the jab since the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved for use in December. 

The UK has since permitted the use of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca jab, which was rolled-out last week, alongside an inoculation developed by American biotech company Moderna.

News of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s vaccination is unusual from Buckingham Palace, which rarely comments on the private health matters of the royal couple.

It is understood the Queen decided the information should be made public to prevent inaccuracies and further speculation.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have today received Covid-19 vaccinations.’

However, when asked by MailOnline, the palace refused to indicate which out of the two available vaccines the couple had been given.

Matt Hancock yesterday revealed almost 2.3million people in the UK had already had a Covid-19 vaccine, with the roll-out rate hitting a rate of nearly 200,000 jabs a day even before Britain”s seven mass immunisation centres opened.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week pledged to hit 200,000 doses a day by this Friday, meaning the target appears to have been hit early.

Data shows the number of people who received their first dose of the vaccine doubled in a week, from 1.3m last Sunday to 2.6m this Sunday just gone.

Four hundred senior citizens and key workers were vaccinated against Covid-19 at the ExCel Centre in London, on its first day of operation yesterday.

NHS sources said that numbers were likely to increase massively over the next few days.

The sign that Britain’s mass vaccination drive is finally scaling up comes as welcome news, alongside the fact that the number of coronavirus cases dropped yesterday.

Department of Health chiefs announced another 46,169 people received positive test results, down 20 per cent in a week and the first sub-50,000 figure since December 28.

Ministers last night released the plan behind Britain’s great Covid vaccine roll-out, promising to dish out 2million jabs a week by the end of January through 2,700 centres dotted across the country.

With a successful inoculation drive Number 10’s only hope of ever ending the constant cycle of tough lockdowns, officials have faced mounting pressure to come clean about how they intend to protect the UK from coronavirus.

The Health Secretary said the plan — which involves creating 50 mass-vaccination centres at football stadiums and other huge venues — ‘maps our route back to normality’.

Under the plans, teachers and other key workers could be bumped up the priority queue. 

So far the UK’s vaccination scheme has been plagued by supply and staffing shortages, logistical problems and bureaucratic barriers that have hampered its scale-up.

No10 today suggested they could set up a round-the-clock jab programme if the public wanted it — but that it had not yet happened because there was not the demand for it. 

Ministers said an army of over 80,000 trained health workers would be involved with the vaccine rollout and more than 200,000 community volunteers have said that they will help with non-clinical side of the programme.