London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Matt Hancock confirms dip in UK Covid vaccine supply for April

Matt Hancock confirms dip in UK Covid vaccine supply for April

Health secretary says stocks will be affected by need to retest 1.7m doses and delay from India


Matt Hancock has said there will be a significant dip in vaccine supply in April, confirming supplies have been hit by a need to retest 1.7m doses and a delay in arrival of imports from India.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Hancock stressed the overall target timetable for vaccinations would not change but said he wanted to give more information, following the “speculation we’ve seen overnight”, after he was criticised for a press conference on Wednesday where the drop in supply went unexplained.

“In the last week, we’ve had a batch of 1.7m doses delayed because of the need to retest its stability,” he said. “Events like this are to be expected in a manufacturing endeavour of this complexity and this shows the rigour of our safety checks. And we have a delay in the scheduled arrival from the Serum Institute of India.”

However, speaking to the Guardian earlier, a source authorised to speak for the institute denied there was any delay in delivering vaccines, claiming there had been no agreed timeframe to deliver a second tranche of 5m doses.

The source said there had not been a hold-up from the Indian government, and that it had given approval for exports, though permission depended on the situation in India, which has significantly changed in the past fortnight.

Government sources also declined to clarify which vaccine batch had been affected by the need to retest supplies for stability.

The health secretary said that there would inevitably be some uncertainty in the manufacturing process. “The pace of rollout has always been determined by the availability of supply. The process of manufacturing vaccines is complicated, and subject to unpredictability,” he said.

“We make public commitments to the goals we can reach, according to our best estimates of future supply. That supply goes up and down.”

Hancock said the UK was currently experiencing “some bumper weeks of supply” but that would fall. The slowing of first doses would also come from the need to use the supply to administer second doses to meet the 12-week deadline, Hancock said.

“We have a huge number of second doses to deliver during April. Around 12 million people, including many colleagues in this house, will receive their second dose. These second doses cannot be delayed, as they have to be delivered within 12 weeks of the first dose.”

Hancock was at pains to praise the Serum Institute of India, as well as vaccine producers Pfizer and AstraZeneca, saying the institute was doing “incredible work” producing vaccines for the whole world.

“Their technology, and their capability, which has been approved by the MHRA, is remarkable. It truly is a partnership that we can be proud of,” he told MPs.

He said no appointments would be cancelled and that the targets were still on track to be met. “There will be no weeks in April with no first doses, there will be no cancelled appointments as a result of supply issues. Second doses will go ahead as planned.”

Hancock also announced that Gibraltar had become “the first nation in the world to complete its entire adult vaccination programme”, calling it a “success thanks to a team spirit across the British family of nations”.

After a slow start, India’s vaccination programme has more than doubled the number of doses it is administering each day compared with last week, which in turn is likely to have increased its demands on the institute’s supply.

India has sold or gifted about 59m vaccine doses abroad, compared with the 37m it has administered at home, with another 38m distributed to state governments and awaiting use. Indians have largely backed their government’s programme of “vaccine maitri” (vaccine friendship), but the country’sforeign minister, S Jaishankar, told parliament on Wednesday that exports and donations were “based on the assessment of adequate availability at home”.

AstraZeneca has partnered with the institute, which is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, to supply the Indian government and other countries, including low- and middle-income ones.

A member of the UK government’s joint committee on vaccination and immunisation conceded on Thursday morning that Covid infections could rise as a result of the delay in people in their 40s and younger getting their vaccinations.

Adam Finn, who advises UK health departments on immunisation and is a professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that vaccination of those aged under 50 “may kick off slightly later than we’d optimistically hoped”.

Finn said the decline in hospital admissions should continue as long as all those over-50s and vulnerable people were vaccinated on time. He said the 12 weeks between first and second doses must “not be allowed to slip significantly”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×