MISSED SHOT
Why is there a Covid vaccine shortage?
THERE will be a "significant reduction" in the availability of Covid vaccines throughout April, the NHS has warned.
The blow means anyone under the age of 50 will now have to wait longer for their jab.
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A leaked NHS letter yesterday said first doses will be “significantly constrained” due to a “significant reduction in supply from manufacturers”.
But jab-makers claim there is nothing wrong at their end.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs today that a batch of 1.7 million coronavirus doses have been delayed due to the need to be retested.
There has also been a delay in a scheduled arrival from the Serum Institute of India - the largest producer of jabs in the world.
The CEO of the institute claimed the Indian government is witholding jabs to the UK in order to serve its own citizens, amid growing infection rates.
Downing Street has not denied these claims.
Mr Hancock has said vaccines remain “on track” and that every adult will get their jab by the end of July.
But cabinet minister Robert Jenrick conceded the rollout of vaccines would be slightly slower than expected because of the shortage.
What do we know so far about the vaccine shortage?
What has the NHS said?
A bombshell letter, revealed yesterday, said there would be a predicted four-week blip in vaccines “as a result of reductions in national inbound supply”.
NHS bosses told local leaders to avoid inviting anyone under 50 years old for a jab, just days before those in their 40s were expected to be invited.
Only under “'exceptional circumstances” can a younger person be offered a dose.
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Mr Hancock played the severity of the letter down, and did not mention the dip in supply in his opening comments during a Downing Street press conference last night.
When quizzed by journalists, Mr Hancock argued it was a “standard” technical letter - and there have been similar letters in the past.
But the implications could be more far-reaching than implied and experts have said it could slow down the lifting of lockdown.
An NHS source told the letter was “unusual” and: “It’s a futile exercise for Hancock to try to downplay it.”
How will you be affected?
If you are over the age of 50, the NHS has invited you to book your coronavirus jab online.
After the top nine groups have been given their first dose - likely to be the end of March - it was planned for the second phase of the rollout to start, going through the general population by age group.
Those in their 40s were to start being invited for their vaccine in a couple of weeks, with those in their 30s being called up sometime in April.
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy head of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told BBC Breakfast on Monday people in their 40s will be offered vaccines “before Easter”.
But now, those in their 40s won't be invited until May, and from there, it's unclear when younger people will be called up and how slow the process will be.
Mr Hancock said today "second doses will go ahead as planned".
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Where does the delay come from?
Mr Hancock said in the House of Commons today: “We have a delay in the scheduled arrival from the Serum Institute of India."
It came after the BBC reported a delivery of 10 million jabs had been expected from the Serum Institute of India, but half the doses have been held up by four weeks.
The insitute's CEO, Adar Poonawalla, made claims today that the UK had not received all its doses because India's government is keeping supplies for its own one billion citizens - of which two per cent have had their first dose.
He told : "There was never a commitment to supplying doses to the UK in any stipulated time. We just said we will offer our help.
"The balance doses will be decided to be given to the UK at an appropriate time by the Indian Government. While balancing India and all its needs at the same time."
Pressed on whether the Indian government is blocking exports, the Prime Minister's official spokesperson said: “I would point back to what the Serum institute have said and the fact that they are one of the manufacturers of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
“We produce it here in the UK and it’s produced elsewhere as well so we will continue to work with the manufacturers of the vaccine.”
Meanwhile, the European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen threatened to stop exports to countries like the UK where vaccine rollouts were successful.
But it is not thought this is behind the disruption to the UK’s supply.
Ms von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels she is “ready to use whatever tool we need” to ensure the reliable delivery of vaccines.
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Asked about her comments yesterday and whether they were behind the supply problems, Mr Hancock said “we fully expect” vaccine contracts to be delivered.
“This vaccine is provided at cost to the whole world … and we legally signed a contract for delivery of the first 100 million doses for people here, for people in the UK.
Mr Hancock revealed a batch of 1.7 million doses have been delayed "because of the need to retest its stability".
He said: “Events like this are to be expected in a manufacturing endeavour of this complexity and this shows the rigour of our safety checks.”
AstraZeneca is thought to have experienced what one NHS official called “manufacturing capacity problems”.
An NHS source told The Guardian vaccines are “biological products that are being manufactured for the first time and at pace, therefore things could always go wrong”.
Prof Finn, from the University of Bristol and a member of the JCVI, told BBC Radio 4 that “vaccines are definitely tricky when it comes to supply”.
He added: “Historically we’ve always tried in the UK to have more than one supplier of more than one vaccine, whenever possible, because this does come up from time to time.
“And I think even more so then at the present time, because these vaccines are new technology, and manufacturing them at scale is quite tricky.”
Supply is 'always lumpy'
Mr Hancock brushed off the letter last night and said vaccine supply was “always lumpy”.
He insisted the nation was on track to meet the target of offering a first dose to all over-50s by April 15, and all adults by the end of July.
“And, of course, these supply schedules have moved up and down throughout this whole rollout. It’s absolutely par for the course and that’s a normal operation letter.
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“We are committed to all adults being able to get the jab by the end of July and we are on track to deliver on that commitment.”
Mr Jenrick told BBC Breakfast the rollout “won’t be as fast as we might have hoped for a few weeks, but then we have every reason to believe that supply will increase in the months of May, June and July”.
Manufacturers 'on track'
Manufacturers of Covid vaccines have not reported any problems.
A Pfizer spokeswoman said deliveries “remain on track” for the first quarter of its 40 million dose agreement with the UK, with a “steady supply of vaccines” delivered to the nation.
Meanwhile, an AstraZeneca spokeswoman said: “Our UK domestic supply chain is not experiencing any disruption and there is no impact on our delivery schedule.”
Moderna said today its vaccines will start to be delivered in April, after regulatory approval in January.
Although No10 has secured a deal for 17 million doses, it's understood only 2.5 million will initially be available.
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Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4: “A number of global manufacturers are experiencing issues.”
Pressed if the issue was vaccine coming from India, he said: “It’s not that there’s any one factory responsible for this or any one country.”
Dr Hilary Jones says vaccine delays 'could threaten the easing of lockdown'
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