COVID vaccines are estimated to have prevented nearly 100,000 deaths in England, the latest figures show.

Tens of thousands of hospital admissions and millions of infections are also believed to have been prevented.

The jabs rollout is estimated to have directly averted between 91,700 and 98,700 deaths, according to figures from Public Health England.

This has risen from previous estimates of between 81,300 and 87,800 deaths.

The latest estimates also indicate the vaccination programme has averted more than 82,100 hospital admissions – up from a previous estimate of more than 66,900.

Between 23.6 million and 24.4 million infections are estimated to have prevented, up from between 22.9 million and 23.8 million.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the figures show the vaccines are “continuing to keep all of us safe”.

He said: “The UK’s phenomenal vaccination programme has made a life-changing difference to tens of millions of people across the country, and we’re quickly closing in on 100,000 lives being saved in England alone.

"With 82,100 hospitalisations prevented in over-65s and almost 24 million infections prevented across England, the vaccines are continuing to keep all of us safe."

“It’s also hugely encouraging to see over 62,000 pregnant women taking up the offer and ensuring they and their babies are protected from this dangerous disease.

“The vaccines are free and available at hundreds of locations around the UK – please get your jabs to secure this protection for yourself and your loved ones and help us reclaim our lost freedoms.”

New research from scientists at the University of Oxford has suggested people infected with the Delta variant after their second jab had similar peak levels of virus to unvaccinated people.

But researchers said jabs still reduce the risk and remained the most effective way to ensure protection against the dominant Delta variant.

Professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which is currently considering the potential benefits of a booster programme, said vaccines are “excellent” in providing protection.

He told BBC Breakfast: “At this point I think the main message is that the direct protective effects of these vaccines is excellent, i.e. if you get the vaccination you’re in a much better place in terms of getting sick.

“But the ability of the programme to actually stop the virus from circulating around in the population is less good than we’d hoped.”