Vaccine supply to ebb before bumper stocks later this month

VACCINE supplies could run dry in some areas next week, health chiefs have warned, but will double from current rates by mid-march.

A letter from NHS officials says there will be “minimal allocations” in the first part of next week, with areas expected to end the week in a “nearzero stock position”. It comes as scientists said Pfizer and Oxford vaccines are “working better than we could have hoped”.

A real-world study of over-80s by the University of Bristol found that one dose of the jab offered around 80 per cent protection against hospitalisation within two weeks. Previous studies had shown such impact after about a month.

Vaccination centres are being asked to try to get jabs to the most difficult cases, such as the housebound, while stocks are low next week. And they have been told to use the lull to gear up for a bumper supply in the week starting March 15.

Health chiefs say that centres will be expected to deliver around twice as many jabs as they are now, with increases sustained for several weeks.

In coming weeks, growing numbers of those given the first vaccines will return for second doses, 12 weeks after their first, while the programme continues to work through younger age groups.

A letter from Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director of Primary Care for NHS England, sent to sites across the country, says: “There will be minimal allocations of new vaccine in the first part of the week commencing March 8, reflecting national supply available to the programme.”

But she added: “From March 11, vaccine supply will increase substantially and be sustained at a higher level for several weeks.”