UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures
The first patients in the UK are set to receive the Moderna vaccine today, as it becomes the third coronavirus jab to be rolled out across the country.
It follows the rollout of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, which began in December and January respectively.
The first doses of the vaccine developed by the US biotech firm are set to be administered from the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen, the Welsh government said.
The rollout is due to start the day after a trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in children was paused while regulators investigate reports of a rare form of blood clot among adults.
The University of Oxford said no safety concerns have arisen from the children’s trial and Sage adviser Professor Calum Semple said the decision to pause had been made out of “exceptional caution”, as he urged people to continue accepting Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs.
Both the UK’s medicines regulator – which said it had identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events out of 18.1 million doses of the jab administered up to and including March 24 – and World Health Organisation have said that to date the benefits of the vaccine in preventing coronavirus outweigh any risks.
Effectiveness of Moderna jab – data
The phase three trials into the Moderna vaccine – the third to be rolled out in the UK – suggested vaccine efficacy against the disease was 94.1 per cent and vaccine efficacy against severe Covid-19 was 100 per cent.
More than 30,000 people in the US took part in the trial, from a wide range of age groups and ethnic backgrounds.
Two doses were given 28 days apart so researchers could evaluate safety and any reaction to the vaccine.
Moderna also released data relating to severe cases, which showed all 30 severe cases occurred in the placebo group and none in the group which had received the vaccine.
Additional reporting by PA
Zoe Tidman7 April 2021 08:17
‘We have ordered 17 million doses that will be going into arms in the coming weeks’
Here is what Boris Johnson has to say about the start of Moderna’s rollout today:
Zoe Tidman7 April 2021 08:04
As for England…
Asked when the Moderna vaccine will be rolled out in England, a Tory MP told Sky News: “In the next few days.”
“It’s the UK vaccination programme. The UK has spent £300m on rolling this programme out,” Paul Scully, small business minister said.
He added: “You will see it coming to England and the other devolved nations across the next few days.”
Mr Scully also said the vaccination programme is still on target to cover all adults in England by the end of July.
Additional reporting by PA
Zoe Tidman7 April 2021 08:00
Wales to start rollout of Moderna vaccine
Patients in Wales will be the first in the UK to receive a dose of the Moderna vaccine – the third type of jab to be rolled out in the UK – today.
The first doses of the jabs developed by the US biotech firm are set to be administered from the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen, a town in the country’s southwest, according to the Welsh government.
An initial round of 5,000 doses of the immunisation were sent to vaccination centres in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area on Tuesday, it added.
Vincent Wood has the full story:
Zoe Tidman7 April 2021 07:39
Good morning and welcome to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Zoe Tidman7 April 2021 07:27
