LONDON (AP) – The British vaccine minister on Friday rejected proposals that the country get major COVID-19 villains intended for poorer countries, and insisted that 10 million doses from India are always intended for distribution in the UK .
Nadhim Zahawi, in an interview with The Associated Press, confirmed reports that the Serum Institute of India, one of the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world, would ship doses of the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca to the UK send.
Non-governmental organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres have expressed concern that shipments from the Serum Institute will reduce supplies to developing countries. Zahawi maintained this is not the case.
“We have, of course, sought the assurance from AstraZeneca and Serum that our doses will not affect their commitment to the low-income and middle-income countries in the world,” he said. ‘And they make about 300 million doses available to low- and middle-income countries. You saw those arriving in Accra, Ghana, last week and the Philippines this week … and also the Ivory Coast. And you are going to see that a lot more of the bundle goes out as well. ‘
Britain has given at least one dose of vaccine to about 21 million people, more than 30% of the population, and plans to reach all adults by the end of July. In an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible quickly, public health officials recommended that most people receive their second dose after 12 weeks, rather than the four weeks originally expected. They say a single dose offers a high degree of protection, although two doses are needed to reap the full benefits of vaccination.
As more people are eligible for their second dose, the pace at which new patients get their first chance has slowed. On average, about 327,000 people a day received their first dose of vaccine in the seven days to February 28, down from a peak of 441,000 three weeks earlier.
Zahawi said the government has built a network of vaccination sites that is able to meet the increased demand, and he is confident that he will meet the July target for all adults.
“This is a very large infrastructure that we are putting into operation and that can be used at much higher rates than we have experienced so far,” he said.
With the successful implementation of the program, Britain and other rich countries are under pressure to share their supplies with poorer countries through a mechanism known by the United Nations as the COVAX facility.
Britain has acquired the rights to 457 million doses of different vaccines, more than three times the total needed to fully vaccinate everyone in the country. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to donate unnecessary doses to other countries, but he did not offer a timetable.
“Most of it is offered by COVAX,” Zahawi said. Some may also be offered through bilateral relations.