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NHS vaccine chiefs have written to local health leaders warning of a “significant reduction” in weekly supplies of the coronavirus jab from 29 March for a month.
Vaccination centres and pharmacy-led vaccination services have been told to close all unfilled bookings from that date and ensure no further appointments are booked for the whole of April.
The month-long appointments shut-down, caused by a drop in supplies from manufacturers, suggests the under-50s could have to wait until after April to be vaccinated.
“The government’s vaccines task force have now notified us there will be a significant reduction in weekly supply available from manufacturers beginning in week commencing 29 March, meaning volumes for first doses will be significantly constrained,” the letter states.
The cut will continue for four weeks, as a result of “reductions in national inbound vaccines supply”.
“Our vaccination delivery programme was designed to be flexible, scaled up and diversified, in line with fluctuating international vaccine supplies,” the letter says.
The letter, written by Emily Lawson, head of the vaccine deployment programme for NHS England, and Nikita Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and NHS Improvement, also says those delivering vaccines are being asked to step up efforts to get everyone in the top nine priority groups vaccinated – people over 50.
It suggests dedicated sessions for groups with specific access requirements, extending visits to housebound patients and scheduling second or third care home visits, ensuring those at greatest risk have access to the vaccine.
“Vaccine supply is always lumpy and we regularly send out letters on supply,” said health secretary Matt Hancock, who played down the significance of the letter, insisting such information was routinely issued.
“We legally signed a contract to ensure 100 million doses for people in the UK,” he said, referring to comments from Ursula von der Leyen, who had warned that the EU is ready to introduce emergency controls on Covid-19 vaccine production and distribution.
He said he fully expected contracts to be fulfilled, and promised the NHS would stick to its offer that everyone over 50 would be able to get a jab by 15 April.
And he said they were on track for all adults to be able to get a jab by the end of July, denying people under 50 would have to wait.
Most of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine supply destined for the UK is manufactured in Britain, although some comes from Belgium.
Statistics show 25.27 million people have now received their first dose of thevaccine.
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