Matt Hancock today warned that the Covid vaccine rollout will suffer a dip this week — but there will be a bump in March to compensate for the lag.
The Health Secretary said a delay in the supply schedule will result in less jabs being dished out.
But both AstraZeneca and Pfizer — manufacturers of the two jabs currently deployed in the UK — insist there is 'no issue' with deliveries.
Official figures showed Britain only administered 150,000 vaccines on Sunday, in the worst daily performance since the NHS roll-out began to gather speed last month.
With a rapid inoculation drive crucial to Britain's hopes of lockdown being eased in the next few months, critics say there is 'no excuse' for the roll-out slowing down.
Insurance Loans Mortgage Attorney Credit LawyerThink-tank bosses believe it is unlikely supply is solely behind the downturn because there would be reports of centres across the country running out of stock — which hasn't been the case.
James Lawson, a fellow at think-tank the Adam Smith Institute, said the virus 'doesn't rest' and neither should the mammoth NHS operation.
Boris Johnson put a successful vaccine roll-out at the heart of his lockdown-easing plan, which he unveiled yesterday.
So long as the operation continues successfully, all restrictions could be dropped in England by June 21. Any hiccups could threaten that target.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that the vaccine rollout is going to suffer a dip this week but there will be a bump in March to compensate
Mr Hancock revealed vaccine roll-out figures will continue to stay low for the rest of the week in an interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari.
He said it will be a 'quieter week' for the vaccine rollout because of a drop in supply, warning that the success of the drive was 'all about supply'.
Covid vaccines being used in Britain are working 'spectacularly well' and cutting hospital admissions caused by the virus by as much as 95 per cent, according to the first real-world evidence of the roll-out.
Insurance Loans Mortgage Attorney Credit LawyerResearchers yesterday called the results 'very encouraging' and claimed they provided 'compelling evidence' that they can prevent severe illness.
Scientists counted Covid hospital admissions in Scotland among people who had had their first dose of a jab and compared them to those who had not yet received a dose of either the Pfizer or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
In a ray of hope for Britain's lockdown-easing plans, results showed the jabs slashed the risk of being admitted to hospital with Covid by up to 85 and 94 per cent, respectively, four weeks after a single dose.
The study — carried out by academics from the universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde, as well as Public Health Scotland — was
