Britain cranks up coronavirus vaccine drive to offer all adults shot by end-July

So far, more than 17 million people have been inoculated in the country
Johnson is planning to complement the vaccination programme with mass testing in workplaces and schools to help chart Britain’s way out of the crisis

Coronavirus pandemic

Bloomberg

Published: 6:25pm, 21 Feb 2021

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The UK will significantly accelerate its Covid-19 vaccination programme, offering shots to all adults by the end of July and everyone over 50 by mid-April as the government beefs up efforts to contain one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out the new targets on Monday when he reveals his “road map” to easing lockdowns. It is the first time the government has given a firm target for offering all adults their initial dose, having previously said it hoped to do so by autumn.

The previous goal set for over-50s was the end of May. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky TV on Sunday the UK had enough supply to meet the new targets.

So far, more than 17 million people have been inoculated, around 30 per cent of the adult population, making Britain a world leader in Covid-19 vaccinations. The success of the programme contrasts with the government’s failure to contain the initial outbreak and spread of Covid-19. The UK now has Europe’s highest death toll with more than 120,000 victims of the pandemic.

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The UK is now more than a month into its third national lockdown with schools closed and most businesses closed. With the economy suffering its worst recession in more than 300 years and cases and deaths falling rapidly, the prime minister is under growing pressure to lift lockdown curbs. Johnson insists he will proceed with caution to make sure the current lockdown is the country’s last.

Cases surged to record levels in Britain early this year as an easing of social distancing during the holiday period coincided with the spread of the highly-infectious UK variant. The latest lockdown, coupled with the vaccine programme, has reversed that trend. Health authorities reported 10,406 new cases on Saturday, down from the peak week in January when cases averaged almost 60,000 a day.

Going forward, Johnson is planning to complement the rapid-fire vaccination programme with mass testing in workplaces, schools, shopping centres and theatres to help chart Britain’s way out of the pandemic crisis.

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Johnson said Britain had already achieved a significant milestone recording 15 million vaccinations by February 15 to meet the government’s initial target, but the roll-out needs to “go further and faster in the coming weeks.

“But there should be no doubt – the route out of lockdown will be cautious and phased, as we all continue to protect ourselves and those around us,” he said in an emailed statement.

The government has yet to outline how it will roll out vaccinations to the under-50s and whether it will stick to age as the dominant criteria or prioritise other groups, such as critical workers including police and firefighters and teachers.

Jonathan Ashworth, a Labour member of parliament and shadow health secretary, said the government needs to prioritise by occupation in the next roll-out phase or explain why it can’t.

“It’s perfectly reasonable for teachers, police officers and other key workers who haven’t been able to stay at home in the lockdown to ask when their turn will be,” he said in an emailed statement.

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