Alok Sharma seemed to renege on the Prime Minister’s target of ten million vaccine doses by the end of the year on the Kate Burley show this morning.
Yesterday Boris Johnson warned of an ‘immense logistical challenge’ as the UK became the first country in the world to give the go-ahead to the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for vaccinations to start next week.
Medical experts and regulators have been praised for the speedy development and approval of a vaccine, but the task of rolling it out now lies in the hands of the government.
Not wanting to rain on anyone’s parade but responsibility for nationwide vaccination now moves from scientists, who have clearly played a blinder, to Boris Johnson’s Cabinet…
— James O’Brien (@mrjamesob) December 2, 2020
The UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to vaccinate 20 million people with two doses, given 21 days apart.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 800,000 doses of the jab would arrive next week, with millions more following in the coming weeks.
Sean Marett, who is chief commercial officer at BioNTech and has responsibility for distribution, said the UK was likely to receive at least five million doses of vaccine by the end of the year.
The UK had initially expected 10 million by the end of December, but Mr Marett said the amount being shipped out was being scaled back for all orders.
#KayBurley – The Prime Minister said we would have 10 million vaccine doses by the end of the year, but that might not happen now?
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) December 4, 2020
Alok Sharma – “let’s see where we end up at the end of the year… I hope we will have some millions”
KB – Why say 10 million & not deliver? pic.twitter.com/4l5nXcyhjU
Today the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy refused to commit to having 10 million vaccine doses by the end of the year, saying “let’s see where we end up”.
The full footage from his appearance on Sky News can be watched above.
Related: Covid-19: Debunking the most common anti-vaxxer arguments
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