The NHS has written to local health organisations warning of a "significant reduction in weekly supply" of coronavirus vaccines from the week beginning 29 March for a month.
It says there has been a "reduction in national inbound vaccines supply".
It also says organisations should "ensure no further appointments are uploaded to the national booking system or local booking system" in April.
The BBC understands no one who has booked a vaccine should lose a slot.
Asked about the letter, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said "vaccine supply is always lumpy", and added that the NHS regularly sent out "technical letters" explaining the "ups and downs" of supply.
The BBC's politics editor Laura Kuenssberg has been told that fewer AstraZeneca vaccines are available than expected.
I'm told the problem is fewer Astra Zeneca vaccines are available than expected. There have been some other letters to health trusts about managing supply which has been 'lumpy' but this is more significant than previous bumps and lumps
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) March 17, 2021
The letter says "over this next period it is vital" that health organisations focus on vaccinating those in the one to nine groups who are most vulnerable to coronavirus.
It advises vaccination services to work with local authorities, voluntary community and faith organisations "to put in place reserve lists" of people eligible for the vaccine, as well as targeting areas of lower uptake.
The NHS says vaccination centres and community pharmacy-led services should close unfilled bookings from the week commencing 29 March.
Earlier, it was announced that almost half of British adults have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
The Department of Health said 25 million people had received their first dose, while 1.7 million had been given their second dose.
Mr Hancock said that the nation was "ahead of schedule" to offer a first dose to all over-50s by 15 April.
He also reiterated a commitment to ensuring all adults in the UK are offered their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of July.
Speaking at a press conference, Mary Ramsay, the head of immunisation at Public Health England, said "every day we vaccinate more people we are preventing more deaths".
BBC politics correspondent Jonathan Blake said the hold-up would have an impact on the momentum of the vaccine rollout and possibly the government's targets.
Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: "People across the country will be anxious and worried about this news of delayed vaccinations tonight.
"Matt Hancock must explain what the issue is with supply and what efforts are being made to resolve them."
On Wednesday, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said that if Covid vaccine supplies in Europe do not improve, the EU "will reflect whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate".
The EU and the UK have been engaged in a diplomatic row over the export of the vaccines, exacerbated by post-Brexit disagreements.
It is unclear what has caused this drop in supply from 29 March. Government sources are suggesting the amount produced by manufacturers is below the expected yields.
Vaccine production is a biological process so you cannot guarantee just how much is grown.
But given we do rely on supply from Europe for Pfizer and, certainly in the past, some AstraZeneca doses, the fact it comes on the day the EU has warned it may restrict exports has raised questions whether this might be part of the cause.
The number of doses available may drop below 2 million a week in April, that is a little below what has been available in the past couple of weeks.
Because significant numbers of second doses will need to be given from the start of next month, this has prompted the NHS to tell vaccination clinics not to think about inviting the under 50s for a jab. The focus instead will be on ensuring maximum uptake in the over 50s.
The government is still adamant that the target to offer all adults a vaccine by the end of July will be met.
But given the vaccination rollout has been ahead of schedule there had been growing hopes it would have been achieved earlier than that.
We have always been warned the supply chain in precarious. This latest news is a reminder of just how true that is.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NDM1NTQ50gEzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NDM1NTQ5?oc=5
2021-03-17 18:08:27Z
52781441327897
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar