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Coronavirus vaccine invitations will be sent to over 4.6 million more vulnerable people in England from Monday, in what Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi dubbed a “race against death.”
Those over the age of 70 and the clinically vulnerable, such as cancer patients, will now join the over 80s and medical personnel in getting their first jabs through the National Health Service (NHS), in those areas where most of the top two priority groups have already received a dose.
The expansion to the next two priority groups comes alongside the opening of 10 new mass vaccination centers across England. The U.K. has set a goal of administering 15 million inoculations by February 15. In a statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. was “now delivering the vaccine at a rate of 140 jabs a minute.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement that the expansion of vaccinations “does not mean our focus on getting care homes, health care staff and those aged 80 and over vaccinated is wavering — it will remain our utmost priority over the coming weeks.”
Zahawi pledged on the BBC’s Today radio program that “other areas will catch up” with those that have vaccinated most of their priority one and two groups. Those over 80 who have yet to receive a jab will be contacted soon, Zahawi said, with inoculations expanded only in those areas where the higher-priority groups had already been vaccinated. He said: “This is a race against death.”
Zahawi told Times Radio that the second dose of vaccines “are absolutely going to go ahead” and those who had received a jab already “will have to have that second dose within that 12 week period … That is absolutely going to happen.” The comment came after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Sunday wouldn’t guarantee everyone would receive their second dose within the target time.
Zahawi also confirmed the U.K. will pilot 24-hour vaccination centers in London by the end of January.
This article is part of POLITICO’s premium policy service: Pro Health Care. From drug pricing, EMA, vaccines, pharma and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the health care policy agenda. Email [email protected] for a complimentary trial.
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