Daily first Covid doses fall to lowest number on record as 40,744 get jab
The number of first daily Covid vaccines given out in the UK fell to the lowest number on record yesterday after the public was pre-warned of supply issues.
A total of 40,744 people received their first jab on Easter Monday – the smallest daily figure since numbers started being published on January 10.
Second doses were given out to 64,590 people yesterday following a Government announcement that booster jabs would be prioritised this month.
Just over 48,000 people had their first vaccine on Easter Sunday – the lowest figure since 14 March.
These numbers compare with the 844,285 people who were immunised on March 21, and the 660,276 on March 19.
It comes after a leaked NHS England letter to doctors in late-March cautioned of a ‘significant reduction in weekly supply’.
Health bosses said no first appointments should be booked for people under the age of 50 this month – unless they are a member of a higher priority group – meaning younger people will wait slightly longer to be immunised.
Boris Johnson has promised to offer a vaccine to every UK adult by July 31 – and says the country is still on track to meet this target.
More than 60% of UK adults – 31.6 million people – have now been injected with their first dose, while 10.4% – nearly 5.5 million – have had both shots.
The UK has relied on the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines since the rollout was launched in January – but people will start receiving Moderna jabs in just two weeks time.
Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi told BBC Breakfast: ‘It will be in deployment around the third week of April in the NHS. And we’ll get more volume in May as well.’
However, a Government source has warned only ‘a very small’ number of Moderna jabs will be delivered this month.
Another 20 people have died with Covid in the UK in the past 24 hours, while 2,379 new cases have been reported in the UK.
This brings the official death toll to 126,862. However, the ONS puts the number of coronavirus deaths significantly higher, with more than 150,000 mentions of the virus on death certificates.
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