Matt Hancock promises 'bumper weeks' ahead despite fall in supply of Covid vaccines

Henry Bodkin
·2 min read
Matt Hancock takes a selfie with vaccine hub staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, earlier this month - Molly Darlington/AFP via Getty Images
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Matt Hancock has acknowledged a fall in the supply of coronavirus vaccines over recent days but promised "bumper weeks" in March.

The Health Secretary blamed delivery schedules after the number of daily doses administered on Monday fell significantly week-on-week for the fifth day running.

Only 192,341 first doses were administered on the day, 30 per cent down on the week before. The number on Sunday was down 40 per cent week-on-week, Saturday 26 per cent, Friday 32 per cent and Thursday 10 per cent.

The timetable of vaccine delivery to frontline centres has meant rates have tended to drop regularly each Monday before building up steadily throughout the week. However, the figures for the last week show sustained decline that goes beyond daily fluctuations.

During the first two weeks of February, the UK averaged 3,001,892 injections per week, including both first and second doses, but in the past seven day there were 2,436,697.

Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, Mr Hancock said: "It's all about the supply. We have got a quieter week this week and then we're going to have some really bumper weeks in March. It’s about the supply schedules... we have seen ups and downs in the delivery schedule."

Meanwhile, Scotland's national clinical director also blamed supply. Jason Leitch told BBC Radio 4's PM: "It is supply, is what is going on. I wouldn't call it a supply problem – it is completely predicted, we knew it would happen. [For] Pfizer in particular, but also AstraZeneca, the supply is lumpy – forgive the expression."

He predicted that the programme would "get back up to those big numbers" once there were more doses available.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said the NHS remained on track to complete the vaccination of all adults in the phase one priority groups by mid-April.

"As we said from the start, there will be daily fluctuations in the number of people who receive it day on day, but you are aware of our target to vaccinate all those within the first phase by mid-April," the spokesman said. "We are confident in our supply to be able to do that."