She said: “Vaccines are vital in helping us return to a normal way of life.
“Not only do vaccines reduce the severity of illness and prevent hundreds of deaths every day, we now see they also have an additional impact on reducing the chance of passing COVID-19 on to others.
“I encourage anyone who is offered a vaccine to take it as soon as possible.
“While these findings are very encouraging, even if you have been vaccinated, it is really important that you continue to act like you have the virus, practise good hand hygiene and follow social distancing guidance.”