London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Covid: NHS warns of 'significant reduction' in vaccines

Covid: NHS warns of 'significant reduction' in vaccines

The NHS has warned of a "significant reduction in the weekly supply" of Covid vaccines in England next month in a letter to local health organisations.

The letter says there has been a "reduction in national inbound vaccines supply" and asks organisations to "ensure no further appointments are uploaded" to booking systems in April.

The health secretary said it was a "standard" letter.

The BBC understands no-one who has booked a vaccine should lose a slot.

Asked about it during a Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Matt Hancock said the NHS regularly sent out "technical letters" that explained the "ups and downs" of supply.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there would be fewer AstraZeneca vaccines than expected because of issues with the company's international supply.

BBC health editor Hugh Pym said he understood that the vaccine supply issue related to a consignment from a manufacturer in India, with half of the order delayed by four weeks.


A spokesperson for the AstraZeneca said: "Our UK domestic supply chain is not experiencing any disruption and there is no impact on our delivery schedule."


We were always warned supply was fragile - and these developments are a reminder of that.

The UK has its own plants that are supplying one to two million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine each week.

There are also stocks coming from Pfizer's Belgium plant - these would be the ones that would be susceptible to any restrictions on exports the EU is threatening.

The Indian supplies were supposed to give the UK the "bumper" end to March, allowing the government to push ahead with vaccination of the under-50s within weeks.

This has now been put on hold, given significant numbers will need their second doses from the start of next month.

The government is still on track to hit its target to offer all adults a vaccine by the end of July.

By late Spring the first doses of Moderna - the third vaccine to have been approved in the UK - should start arriving.

But the delay to the second shipment from India means rollout is going to take a little longer than hoped at the start of this week.

The letter from the NHS in England says that "over this next period it is vital" that health organisations focus on vaccinating those in the priority groups one to nine, who are most vulnerable to coronavirus.

It advises vaccination services to work with local authorities, voluntary community and faith organisations "to put in place reserve lists" of people eligible for the vaccine - as well as targeting areas of lower uptake.

The NHS says vaccination centres and community pharmacy-led services should close unfilled bookings from the week commencing 29 March.

Earlier, it was announced that almost half of British adults have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine - more than 25 million people.

Around 1.7 million people have also had a second dose.

During Wednesday's briefing, Mr Hancock said the UK was "ahead of schedule" to offer a first dose to all over-50s by 15 April.

He also reiterated a commitment to ensuring that all adults in the UK are offered their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of July.

Speaking alongside the health secretary, Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said "every day we vaccinate more people we are preventing more deaths".

And England's deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, said there was "no evidence" that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine causes an "increased risk" of blood clots.

The EU's medicines regulator has said it remains "firmly convinced" that the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks, after several leading EU states paused their rollouts.

Prof Van-Tam added that all medicines have both side effects and benefits, and listed some of the rare side effects of paracetamol as examples, pointing out that most people had no issue with taking it.


BBC politics correspondent Jonathan Blake said the hold-up would have an impact on the momentum of the vaccine rollout and possibly the government's targets.

Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted that people "across the country" would be "anxious and worried" about the news of delays.

"Matt Hancock must explain what the issue is with supply and what efforts are being made to resolve them," he added.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that if Covid vaccine supplies in Europe do not improve, the EU "will reflect whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate".

The EU and the UK have been engaged in a diplomatic row over the export of the vaccines, exacerbated by post-Brexit disagreements.

Also during the briefing, Mr Hancock confirmed that shielding guidance in England would end on 31 March - meaning that more than 3.7 million vulnerable people in England will no longer have to shield.

A further 141 people in the UK have died within 28 days of a positive test, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard. A further 5,758 people have tested positive.


Health Secretary Matt Hancock said vaccine supply is "always lumpy, but we're on course"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×