Britain has begun to launch Modern Vaccine Inc. on Wednesday, supporting the Covid-19 immunization program in the UK, amid concerns AstraZeneca Plc’s hit and a lack of doses this month.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Modern shot would be offered first in West Wales. It is the third approved vaccine to be offered in the UK, along with photos from AstraZeneca and partners Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, and its launch is about two weeks earlier than expected.
The UK has ordered 17 million doses of the Modern Two-shot vaccine, enough for 8.5 million people.
The success of the vaccination program is crucial to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ambition to fully reopen Britain’s economy on June 21st. On Tuesday, he tried to reassure people about the Astra vaccine, amid ongoing concerns in Europe about possible side effects.
It later emerged that children’s vaccinations in a shooting study developed by Astra and Oxford University were discontinued while the UK drug regulator is investigating rare cases of blood clots in adults. There were no safety issues in the children’s trial, Oxford said.
“There is still no evidence that there is a causal link on very, very rare occasions when blood clots have been discussed,” Small Business Minister Paul Scully told Sky News on Wednesday. “The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe; saved thousands of lives. ”
Visitors enter a Covid-19 vaccination center in London in February.
Photographer: Jason Alden / Bloomberg
‘In graphic’
The government has insisted it is on track to meet its goal of vaccinating all adults by the end of July, despite a dose reduction in April and a potentially slower pace than expected in the coming months. “From what I see, everything seems to be on target,” Scully said.
Vaccination centers and pharmacies face a The “significant reduction” in supply in April warned the NHS England last month – meaning that older people waiting for the second dose will be given priority over younger people receiving the first blow.
The pace of deployment across England is now estimated by the Cabinet Office at an average of 2.7 million doses per week by the end of July – “considerably slower” than a previous forecast of 3.2 million per week, according to a document modeling of scientists from a government advisory committee published Monday.
Johnson’s official spokesman, Jamie Davies, said the government “never talked about details about the supply and delivery” of vaccines.
A bottle of Modern Covid-19 vaccine.
Photographer: Nathan Laine / Bloomberg
“There will be a slight reduction in April, but the key element to remember is that this does not mean that we are not on the right track to deliver on our promises,” Davies told reporters on Tuesday. Britain remains “on track” to deliver a first dose to all those over 50 through April 15 and all adults by the end of July, he said.
Johnson is facing a political battle over the Covid passport plan in Britain
The release of Moderna in the UK is earlier than expected. Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC on Tuesday that it would take place “around the third week of April”.
Three out of five adults in the UK have been vaccinated so far, Hancock said on Twitter. The latest government data show that more than 31.6 million people received a first dose and 5.5 million received a second dose.
Speaking on a visit to an Astra factory in Macclesfield, northwest England, Johnson urged people to listen to the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency, UK drug surveillance dog.
“Their advice for people is to keep going there, to get your jab, to get your second jab,” he said.
– With the assistance of Kitty Donaldson
(Adds the Minister’s comment on the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the sixth paragraph.)