‘No interruption’ to vaccine supply
CABINET minister Michael Gove has said there “will be no interruption” to UK vaccine supplies from Astrazeneca after the European Union demanded doses from British plants during a row over supply shortages.
Mr Gove said yesterday the “first and most important thing” is that the supply schedule agreed with the Uk-based pharmaceuticals giant is honoured so the domestic vaccine rollout can be delivered before neighbouring nations are aided.
But Downing Street declined to rule vaccines being sent to the EU before everyone in the UK is vaccinated to help address supply shortages being faced by the bloc.
EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides said there have been “constructive” talks with Astrazeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot after telling the firm it is contractually obliged to send jabs produced in the UK to 27 EU member states.
Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “First thing, we must make sure that we continue with the effective acceleration of our vaccination programme.
“That relies on the supply schedule that has been agreed to be honoured. That’s the first and most important thing.”
“Secondarily,” he said, the desire is to ensure allies receive vaccines, but he added that “I think we best achieve that through dialogue and cooperation and friendship”.
Pressed on whether the Government would allow vaccines to go to the EU, he said: “No, the critical thing is we must make sure that the schedule that has been agreed and on which our vaccination programme has been based and planned goes ahead.
“It is the case that the supplies that have been planned, paid for and scheduled should continue, absolutely. There will be no interruption to that.”
Mr Gove was speaking just as it was announced that hospital admissions of people with Covid-19 and the number of patients in hospital with the virus are starting to fall in all regions of England, analysis shows.
The number of patients waiting more than an hour to be handed over from ambulance teams to A&E staff has also dropped to its lowest level since the start of the year.
The figures suggest tighter restrictions on people’s movements and activities introduced across England after Christmas, culminating in the nationwide lockdown from January 5, are starting to have an impact.
A total of 2,648 hospital admissions of people with Covid-19 in England were reported for January 25, according to figures from NHS England.
This is down 29% on the equivalent figure for a week earlier, and is the lowest since December 31.
All regions are now recording week-onweek decreases in daily admissions, including a drop of 35% in the Midlands and 32% in London.