UK faces 'significant reduction' in vaccine supply

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) - A letter from the National Health Service (NHS) England to local vaccination centers warned the UK is going to face a “significant reduction” in vaccine supplies from March 29, local media reported on Wednesday.

The disruption could last for a month due to “reductions in national inbound vaccines supply.”

The vaccination centers were told not to book any further appointments for April.

At a daily press briefing, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Vaccine supply is always lumpy and we regularly send out technical letters to the NHS to explain the ups and downs of the supply over the future weeks. What you're referring to is a standard one of those letters.”

He added that the UK would still offer the first doses of vaccines to the scheduled 32 million people by April 15.

The UK also announced on Wednesday that over 25 million people have received their first doses of vaccine, with over-50s now being invited to receive their doses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, told parliament that he will receive his first dose “very shortly,” adding: “It will certainly be Oxford-AstraZeneca that I will be having.”

Some 5,758 people in the UK tested positive for the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to more than 4,27 million. There were also a further 141 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 125,831.