Vaccine rollout ‘teething problems’

FAMILY doctors are experiencing problems getting supplies of coronavirus vaccines for their patients, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has warned. The “teething problems” risked causing disappointment for vulnerable people who are at the front of the queue to receive the jabs, RCGP chair Professor Martin Marshall said. The comments came as Health Secretary Matt Hancock launched the mass rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to GP surgeries - but heard firsthand about the issues they face. The surgery Mr Hancock visited had not received an expected delivery of the Oxford vaccine, which is easier to distribute than the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.

The need for the rapid rollout of the vaccine was underlined as hospitals across the UK faced rising numbers. As of January 4, there were 30,451 people in UK hospitals with coronavirus, much higher than the April 12 peak of 21,684.