The UK is facing a “significant” four-week reduction in supply of Covid-19 vaccines from the end of March, forcing doctors to stop making reservations for new patients for next month.
The shortage will mean a change of approach to provide second doses to the most vulnerable people who have already been offered laundry and to those who are part of priority groups who have not yet accepted the offer. The news came when Britain announced that more than 25 million people have now had a first shot of the Pfizer o AstraZeneca Plc Vaccines: Approximately half of the adult population.
In a letter Wednesday to local health services groups, NHS England said the reduction in supply is the result of reductions in “incoming national vaccines”. This explanation runs the risk of fueling the already heated debate over whether the European Union, which lags behind in its vaccination program, should block vaccine exports to the UK.
Later, Health Secretary Matt Hancock downplayed delays in supply and told a news conference that the NHS letter was routine and that vaccine shipments had always been “lumpy”. He said the target of offering a first dose to the entire UK adult population by mid-July remains, as those over 50 are still scheduled to shoot by mid-next month.
However, vaccination centers and pharmacies were ordered to stop making new reservations as of March 29 and not hang up new appointments with the national reservation service throughout April.
“Anxious and worried”
“The government’s working group on vaccines has now notified us that there will be a significant reduction in the weekly supply available from manufacturers from the week starting March 29, which means that the volumes of the first doses will be they will be significantly limited, ”said Emily Lawson, NHS commercial director. the letter. “Currently, they anticipate that this will continue for a period of four weeks, as a result of the reduction in the national supply of incoming vaccines.”
The UK’s main opposition Labor Party demanded that Hancock explain the retention.
“People across the country will be anxious and worried,” Labor health spokesman Jonathan Ashworth said. “Matt Hancock needed to explain exactly what these supply issues are and what he does to solve them.”
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