According to the Herald today:
The UK Government has contradicted Health Secretary Jeane Freeman’s prediction that vaccine supplies will “dip” in the coming weeks, forcing a slowdown of the vaccination programme. Ms Freeman said yesterday that the rollout would have to be scaled back in the next two weeks because of problems affecting supplies to the UK.
Then we read this:
Backing up Freeman, BBC Wales had this to say:
The number of vaccines supplied to Wales is expected to fall in the next few weeks, affecting some of the country’s vaccination centres. Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board says it is pausing vaccinations at four centres for a fortnight. Local politicians say it is because of a fall in the supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. Other vaccinations centres are expected to reduce their hours. First Minister Mark Drakeford said the drop in supply had been planned for. The Welsh Government said the reduction in supply would affect the whole of the UK.
And from South Ayrshire Council in the last few hours:
As a result of a temporary reduction in Pfizer’s manufacturing capacity, fewer supplies of the vaccine have been received and consequently, the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Vaccination Programme has been impacted. There will be no vaccinations taking place in Ayrshire from Monday 15 February to Thursday 18 February 2021.
Seems clear so why is the UK Government contradicting? Is it just because, having been less effective in getting the doses out of the warehouses, they still have plenty left?
Vaccine supply is a political issue in England but a Public Health one in Scotland.
Yet another example of the gulf between the two countries.
Everyone else in Europe is saying that there will be a dip in supply from Pfizer due to production issues but perhaps England has,as you say,either been stockpiling the Pfizer vaccine or has an agreement with AstraZeneca to make up the deficit.
Either way,it appears to be a state secret.
Of course,denying that there are supply issues will allow the Tories to attack the SG when the rollout program slows.
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Correct, hence the “hissy fit” previously…
The cute thing SG did was publish the forward supply programme such that every journalist across the world saved it before it was taken down, Oh dear, how sad, never mind seems somehow entirely appropriate
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England vaccination rate being lower will allow them to offer without dips
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Obviously England has been offering jags, not actually giving them which kind of leaves them with a surplus, perhaps a policy they intend to continue, or they might not have divided the pot properly, in any case not supporting either the Scots or Welsh governments statements is just playing politics, dirty politics. An open letter to both Pfizer and the UK gov seeking an explanation as to why the original 4 nation agreement has been changed without notifying the devolved governments. They have form of course and I’m sure the rest of Europe will interested in the answer.
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England controls the issue of vaccines to scotland england ireland and wales
England can issue vaccines quickly to scotland ireland wales
OR SLOWLY
How can England catch up ?
Issue vaccines quickly or SLOWLY
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I cant say a bloody thing because i know for a fact exactly what is going on
Add 1+1:see what it comes to
And NOT jokingly
A nod here is as good as a wink
Know what I mean Eh!
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Westminster taking more disproportionately for the south. Deja Vu. Stockpiling it on the sly for disproportionately distribution? Or lack of ordering procedures. Too late.
All the elderly in Scotland have been vaccinated. The most essential and priority groups. have had the jab. Essential workers. The infection and death rate is going down, as long as this continues.
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The “they still have plenty left” seems entirely plausible, but without validated information on how their vaccination programme is going it is impossible to say.
I note they’ve changed tack again, the BBC is parading “Covid: Virus cases are going down across the UK” now
🙄
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Article in the Guardian online tonight contains this nugget which contradicts the claim that there will not be a reduction in supply
“”There is a growing expectation that the supply of vaccines will be reduced substantially from next week as Pfizer slows production while it reconfigures its manufacturing plant in Belgium.
A WhatsApp message sent by Kanani to GPs [in England] on Thursday said: “If you don’t have much vaccine in the next few weeks please don’t be despondent”. She advised that medical teams “need to recuperate” and that people should “recharge if you can”.
NHS sources said supply is expected to pick up again around the beginning of March, but the pace of first jabs, running at between 2.5m and nearly 3m a week, is likely to ease during February.””
Dr Nikki Kanani is the medical director of primary care for NHS England,
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BBC Scotland news on TV this evening is reporting that a drop in vaccination numbers is anticipated in Scotland in the coming weeks due ‘IN PART’ to a supply issue.
What the ‘OTHER PART’ cause might be is left hanging – we are not informed by the BBC. If there is indeed another reason why is the BBC not telling?
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Do the English government control supply of the vaccine in the UK. Do they control the supply of the vaccine to Scotland. Would they withhold the vaccine from Scotland.
They stopped supply of PPE to Scotland last year. Are the English government capable of playing dirty even during the pandemic, using their political position to hold Scotland to ransome even if it means people will die.
No question about it.
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