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Drug giants Pfizer and AstraZeneca have rejected an NHS claim that the UK is facing a COVID-19 vaccine shortage, insisting there is no threat to supplies.
The two major vaccine manufacturers said they were still on track to meet their delivery commitments and denied they faced any supply disruptions.
His defiant statements seemed to contradict a letter to vaccination centers from NHS England warning that there will be a “significant reduction” in supplies next month.
The jab crisis coincided with a threat from the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of block vaccine exports to the UK, where 25 million adults have already had their first jab.
Sources have told Sky News that one of the reasons the number of doses administered varies over time is batches that require further testing to ensure the highest safety standards are met in all cases.
Now jab sites in England have been ordered to stop vaccinating people under 50 during April, a move that has led Conservative MPs to fear it could cause a delay in easing the blocking measures.
Vaccine makers struck after Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a Downing Street news conference that supply was “always erratic” and that the NHS England warning was “normal.”
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‘Future forecasts are always uneven’
In a terse statement, Pfizer said: “We have an agreement with the government to supply 40 million doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine to the UK by the end of the year.
“While the details of this agreement are confidential, we can confirm that the first quarter deliveries are still ongoing and continue to advance according to the monthly schedule, agreed in advance with the Vaccine Working Group.”
And AstraZeneca said in a statement: “Our UK domestic supply chain is not experiencing any disruption and there is no impact on our delivery schedule.”
In response to statements from pharmaceutical companies, the Health Department told Sky News: “As has been the case since the program began, the number of vaccinations performed over time will vary due to supply, but we continue on track to offer a first vaccine to those over 50 before April 15 and all adults before July 31 “.
Although Hancock has given no reason for the NHS England supply warning, Whitehall sources deny that the drop means there will be no first doses in April or that those under 50 will have to wait until May to get vaccinated.
The sources also deny that the supply problem is due to the threat from the European Union, which Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has condemned as a risky policy of the kind operated by undemocratic regimes.
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Raab accuses EU of ‘risky policy’ with vaccines
The shocking letter from the NHS England that sparked the dispute says: “There will be a significant reduction in the weekly supply available from manufacturers from the week beginning March 29, which means that volumes for the first doses will be limited. significantly.
“Inviting patients outside of cohorts 1-9 is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. People 49 and younger should not be offered the vaccine unless they are eligible through a higher cohort.”
Reacting to the threat of vaccine shortages, Conservative MPs claimed that it may mean Boris Johnson is forced to postpone some of the four steps on his roadmap to end lockdown restrictions in England.
“I imagine it could slow the easing of some of the restrictions,” GP and former health minister Dan Poulter told Sky News.
“Still, they will be based on data and evidence. But it may mean that part of the reopening of the economy will slow down a bit more.”
“As things are at the moment, it appears that we are recovering from the virus due to the lockdown and vaccines, and that is good news. But we are not over it yet.”
Labor Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “People across the country will be anxious and concerned that the reservation of new first dose vaccination appointments will be suspended from the end of March.
“Matt Hancock needed to explain exactly what these supply problems are and what he’s doing to solve them. Trying to dismiss or downplay the legitimate concerns of anxious people waiting for a vaccine is just not good enough.”
