LONDON (AP) – Britain said on Saturday that half of the country’s adults had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as the government wanted to reach everyone over the age of 18 by the end of July.
According to the latest government statistics, the national health service has put 26.9 million people, or 51% of the adult population, in the arms. The NHS crossed the halfway mark by delivering 589,689 first doses on Friday, the highest daily total since the start of the mass vaccination program in early December.
“It’s a huge success,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a video celebrating the milestone. ‘And I want to thank all those involved, including half of all the adults who came forward. This is so important because this vaccine is our way out of this pandemic. ”
The announcement follows news from health authorities earlier this week that Britain will see a “significant reduction” in vaccine stocks next month. The NHS will continue to deliver the first doses to those most at risk of COVID-19 during April, along with 12 million second jabs, Hancock said Saturday.
In an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible, the UK has decided to extend the time between first and second doses to 12 weeks instead of four weeks as initially planned. Public health officials say the vaccines the country uses provide a high level of immunity after one shot, though two are needed for full protection.
Britain has delivered 44 doses of vaccine for every 100 people, more than any other country with a population of more than 10 million, according to data compiled by the University of Oxford. The United States is second with 35 doses per 100.
Although Britain is celebrating its success, there is growing concern about the failure of rich countries to share scarce vaccine supplies with developing countries.
While Britain should be proud of its vaccination campaign, it is time to start thinking about the rest of the world, said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome, a London health policy think tank, said.
Britain has acquired the rights to receive significantly more vaccine doses than it needs to treat the entire British population, and it’s time to share that surplus with countries that are most essential, Farrar said in a statement after announcement of Hancock was announced. Ensuring the world is vaccinated is a scientific and economic necessity, he said.
The government has secured the rights to a total of 457 million doses of eight vaccines. With 66.8 million people living in Britain, that is enough to vaccinate the entire population three times more.
“If the virus spreads uncontrollably in large parts of the world, the virus can mutate to an extent where our vaccines and treatments no longer work, exposing us all,” Farrar said. “Science has given us the exit strategy, but it will only work if its benefits can reach the maximum number of people around the world.”
Wellcome is a co-founder of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is part of the effort to ensure equitable access to coronavirus vaccines around the world.
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