UK supply of Pfizer vaccine tight but on track for targets - minister

FILE PHOTO: A phial of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine concentrate is diluted with 1.8ml sodium chloride ready for use at Guy's Hospital in London

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's vaccine minister said on Friday that supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for coronavirus would be "tight" over the next few weeks but that he was confident that the country's immunisation targets would be met.

"It is tight," vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Pfizer supplies when asked on LBC radio.

"I'm confident that Scotland will be able to meet the target of offering every adult at least one dose by the end of July as we will in England as well," he added.

Britain said on Thursday that it would give at least 100 million surplus vaccines to the world's poorest nations. Zahawi said the donations would not affect the domestic vaccine programme.

"No doses that are required for Scotland, for Northern Ireland, for Wales, for England are being taken away by our announcement (on donating vaccines)," Zahawi said.

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Paul Sandle; editing by Michael Holden)