Shortage of jabs delays opening of vaccination centre
MP SAYS ROLL-OUT COULD BE FASTER IF THERE WAS MORE SUPPLY OF JABS
A VACCINATION site that was due to open in Hammersmith this week has been delayed by a fortnight due to a shortage in supply of jabs.
The news will add to concern about the coronavirus vaccination roll-out in Hammersmith and elsewhere in the capital after the local MP, Andy Slaughter, warned that existing sites in the borough were operating significantly under capacity – between two and five days a week.
Elsewhere there have been reports of vaccine centres closing early due to a lack of demand.
On Monday February 8, The Times newspaper also reported that the John Scott vaccination centre in Hackney closed early on three days last week due to a lack of take-up among residents.
The latest data from NHS England shows London is lagging behind the rest of the country in terms of the percentage of those aged over 80 who have received their first dose.
As of January 31, 74.9% of over-80s had received their first dose of the vaccine in London, compared with 88.1 per cent for England as a whole and 92.8 per cent for South West England, the best performing region.
Mr Slaughter told MyLondon: “The NHS is doing a brilliant job on vaccination.
“The contrast with the £22 billion privatised Track & Trace operation couldn’t be more stark.
“But we could go faster if there was more supply.
“Existing vaccine centres are often open less than half the week and opening major centres have been delayed, including Hammersmith’s.
“This is not just a London problem, but it is particularly worrying in London where vaccination of the very elderly is running at least 10% behind the rest of the country.
“We need more vaccine but we also need more targeting of vulnerable and hard-to-reach people and those with concerns about vaccination.”
Last week vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi repeated in the House of Commons that the “limiting factor” in the rollout was vaccine supply.
He also told Sky News last week: “Vaccine manufacture remains challenging, any manufacturing process has challenges.
“But as Patrick Vallance said, there’s never been a vaccine manufacturing process of a new vaccine without its challenges, but we see better stability now and greater volumes, but they will move around.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social care said the government remained on track to meet its target of offering a vaccine to all those in the top four priority groups by February 15.
NHS London has been approached for comment.