The NHS website appears to have been hit by a glitch as thousands of 25 to 29-year-olds try to book their vaccine appointments.

Many within the new, lowered age range have been told they are “not eligible” for the jab, while others have reported virtual queues of almost 11,000 people.

Others have reportedly received a message stating “you are now in a queue, lots of people are trying to book an appointment”, without receiving any suggestion of their position or how long they will have to wait.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced in the Commons on Monday that those aged 25 to 29 would be able to book their vaccine appointments from Tuesday morning.

“From this week we will start offering vaccinations to people under 30, bringing us ever closer to the goal of offering a vaccine to all adults in the UK by the end of next month.

“From tomorrow morning, we will open up vaccination to people aged 25 to 29,” Mr Hancock said in a statement to MPs.

Some had raised concerns about whether younger people would take up the opportunity to be vaccinated.

But the large queues as the system opened to 25 to 29-year-olds on Tuesday morning suggests the high demand.

Many have taken to social media on Tuesday morning to report waits of more than thirty minutes to get through to book their jabs, only to be told they are not eligible.

Some had raised concerns about whether younger people would take up the opportunity to be vaccinated when given the green light to book their appointments.

But the large queues as the system opened to 25 to 29-year-olds on Tuesday morning suggests the high demand.

Mr Hancock’s announcement means around three million more people will become eligible for a vaccine.

A total of 40,460,576 people in the UK have so far received their first jab, while 27,921,294 second vaccines have been administered.

All adults have already been called forward to get their vaccine in Northern Ireland and most of Wales.

In Scotland, those aged 18 to 29 have been asked to register for their inoculation, with jabs commencing from mid-June.

The health secretary said he had been “cheered” by images of “so many” young people coming forward to have their jab when eligible.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens hailed the announcement as a “watershed moment” and said the health service’s vaccination programme was entering the “home straight”.

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