UK COULD SPEED UP COVID-19 VACCINATION DRIVE TO TACKLE SURGE OF INDIAN VARIANT

Fri 14 May 2021:

The UK COVID-19 vaccination campaign could be sped up to immunize people over 18 years old in regions of England where a spike of the coronavirus variant first identified in India has been recently reported, Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Friday.

“The clinicians will look at all of this to see how we can flex the vaccination programme to make it as effective as possible to deal with this surge in this variant, the B1617.2,” Zahawi told the Sky news broadcaster.

According to the minister, once the decision is made, the UK health system is ready to vaccinate “younger cohorts” and all multigenerational households or bring forward the second dose of vaccines.

“We’d look at all of that and be guided by the clinicians as to what we do on that,” he added.

According to latest figure released by Public Health England, cases of the so-called Indian variant spiked from 520 that had been confirmed up to May 5 to 1,313 this week.

The minister played down mounting concern about the surge of the variant in several areas of the country eventually delaying the easing of the COVID-19 lockdown in England.

“At the moment we have no evidence that it escapes the vaccines or is more severe in its impact on people,” Zahawi said.

Step three of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown is expected to come into effect on May 17, when bars and restaurants would be allowed to serve clients indoors, cinemas and theaters would reopen and up to six people from different households could meet indoors. The fourth and last step is planned for June 21, when all limits on social distancing would be lifted.