Britain to roll out Oxford vaccine from Jan 4, says report

LONDON • Britain will roll out Oxford University's Covid-19 vaccine from Jan 4, according to plans being drawn up by ministers, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

The government hopes to give the first dose of either the Oxford vaccine, which has been licensed to pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, or the Pfizer vaccine to two million people in the next two weeks, the newspaper said.

The Oxford vaccine is easier to store and handle than the one from Pfizer, and it is likely to make it easier to reach people in secluded parts of the country. It is expected to be approved by medical regulators in days, the newspaper said.

Responding to the report, a Health Department spokesman said that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency must be given time to carry out its review of the data of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

British residents have started receiving Pfizer's vaccination, with the government reporting that over 600,000 people have received the vaccine between Dec 8 and 20.

Lockdowns in Britain could end by the end of February once up to 15 million vulnerable people have been vaccinated, The Mail reported yesterday, citing government sources. The country's health service would no longer be at risk of being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases once that threshold is met, the newspaper said.

Britain recorded 210 Covid-19 deaths last Saturday, down from 570 the day before, while cases rose 1,968 to 34,693, the government said, citing partial data.

Britain has recorded a death toll of 70,405, defined as those dying within 28 days of a positive test.

A broader measure of those with Covid-19 on their death certificates puts Britain's death toll at 79,349.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG