LONDON (AP) – Britain said Saturday that half of the country’s adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, as the government rushes to reach everyone over 18 by the end of July.
According to the latest government statistics, the National Health Service shot 26.9 million people, or 51% of the adult population, in the arms. The NHS got halfway through the delivery of 589,689 first doses on Friday, the highest daily total since the massive vaccination program began in early December.
“It’s been a huge success,” said Health Secretary Matt Hancock in a video celebrating the milestone. “And I want to say a big thank you to everyone involved, including half of all the adults who came forward. It’s so important because this vaccine is our way out of this pandemic. “
The announcement followed news from health authorities earlier this week that Britain would see a “significant reduction” in vaccine stocks next month. The NHS will continue to administer first doses to those most at risk from COVID-19 in April, along with 12 million second injections, Hancock said Saturday.
In an effort to vaccinate as many people as possible, the UK decided to extend the time between the first and second dose to 12 weeks instead of four weeks as initially planned. Public health officials say the vaccines the country uses provide a high degree of immunity after one injection, although two are needed for full protection.
According to data from the University of Oxford, Britain delivered 44 doses of vaccine for every 100 people, more than any other country with a population of more than 10 million. The United States is in second place with 35 doses per 100.
Even as Britain celebrates its success, concern is growing that rich countries are failing to share scarce supplies of vaccine with developing countries.
While Britain can be proud of its urge to vaccinate, it’s time to think about the rest of the world, said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome, a health policy think tank in London.
Britain has acquired the rights to significantly more vaccine dose than is necessary to treat the entire British population, and it is time to share that surplus with the countries most in need, Farrar said in a statement released after Hancock’s announcement. Getting the world vaccinated is a scientific and economic imperative, he said.
The government has secured rights to a total of 457 million doses of eight vaccines. With 66.8 million people living in Britain, that’s enough to fully vaccinate the entire population three times.
“If the virus spreads out of control in many parts of the world, it risks mutating to the extent that our vaccines and treatments stop working – exposing us all,” Farrar said. “Science has given us the exit strategy, but it will only work if its benefits can reach the maximum number of people around the world.”
Wellcome is a co-founder of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is part of the effort to ensure fair access to coronavirus vaccines around the world.
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