Boris Johnson: Lockdown easing and vaccine rollout on target despite shortages
Prime Minister says he's confident of hitting targets
Last updated 18th Mar 2021
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is still confident of hitting the government's vaccine targets, despite concerns over vaccine supplies.
Yesterday the NHS warned of significant reduction in covid vaccine supply towards the end of March, but today the Prime Minister said there would continue to be jabs available for those invited for a vaccine despite the downturn in expected supply next month.
Boris Johnson told a Downing Street press conference: “Let me assure you that if you come forward after receiving your letter, we have the jabs for you.
“We’ve always said in a vaccination programme of this pace and scale some interruptions in supply are inevitable and it is true that in the short-term we’re receiving fewer vaccines than we had planned for a week ago.
“That is because of a delay in a shipment from the Serum Institute, who are doing a Herculean job in producing vaccines in such large quantities, and because of a batch that we currently have in the UK that needs to be retested as part of our vigorous safety programme.
“So, as a result, we will receive slightly fewer vaccines in April than in March, but that is still more than we received in February.”
No impact on easing the lockdown
Boris Johnson said he did not expect the reduction in vaccine supply to have an impact on the timetable for easing coronavirus restrictions.
The Prime Minister said: “The supply we do have will still enable us to hit the targets we have set.
“That means by April 15 we will be able to offer a first dose to all of you who are over 50 as well as those who are under 50 who are clinically vulnerable.
“We will have the second doses people need within the 12 week window, which means around 12 million people in April and will still offer a first dose to every adult by the end of July.
“So there is no change to the next steps of the road map.
“We have now vaccinated over 25 million people across our entire United Kingdom, more than the entire population of many countries.
“Our progress along the road to freedom continues unchecked – we remain on track to reclaim the things we love, to see our families and friends again, to return to our local pubs, our gyms and sports facilities and of course our shops.”
Second doses prioritised in April
Earlier in the day Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that a batch of 1.7 million doses of vaccine had been delayed in the last week due to the need to retest its stability.
“Events like this are to be expected in a manufacturing endeavour of this complexity and this shows the rigour of our safety checks,” he said.
Mr Hancock said second doses for people would be prioritised in April, and there would also be some first doses, but did not make clear for which groups.
“There will be no weeks in April with no first doses,” he said.
“There will be no cancelled appointments as a result of supply issues – second doses will go ahead as planned.”
Covid-19 FAQs
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.
Has there been a virus like this before?
The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.
What are the main symptoms?
The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.
What was the Government reaction?
The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.
Which countries have been worst hit?
During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.
How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?
Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
What are new Covid variants?
Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.
The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.