US general surgeon defends Trump administration rollout of vaccine

Britain aims to complete “tens of millions” of vaccinations against Covid-19 in the next three months, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom On Sunday, Boris Johnson said.

Speaking to the BBC, Johnson said: “We hope to be able to do tens of millions [of Covid-19 vaccines] In the next three months, I can definitely give you that number. “

Johnson said this strategy is based on three vaccines, the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford / AstraZeneca – both of which have been approved in the UK – and the Moderna vaccine that will be ready for use “soon”.

Echoing what he said in October of last year, the prime minister said: “I thought by spring that things would be better. I am sticking to that.”

Asked about the number of doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which British regulators approved on Wednesday, Johnson said that 530,000 doses would be ready for vaccination on Monday, in addition to the “million or so” Pfizer / BioNTechCovid – vaccine distributed 19 already.

Earlier on Sunday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Twitter that the country had provided 1 million Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines, saying: “The end is in sight.”

The UK is reviewing vaccine guidelines: Last week, top UK medical officials issued revised advice about the recommended interval between doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and Biotech.

While UK regulators previously recommended a second dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine three weeks after the first dose, UK medical officials this week advised that they could be given between 3 to 12 weeks after the first dose. Likewise, the second dose of the newly authorized Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK can be administered 4 to 12 weeks after the first, according to the recommendations.

In a letter to healthcare professionals, medical officials defended their decision to extend the interval for patients waiting to receive their second dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, saying Thursday the decision was made based on their estimated balance between risks and benefits. .

The British Medical Association said the move was “extremely unfair” for thousands of at-risk patients across the country.

Pfizer says it doesn’t have data to prove that just one dose of its Covid-19 vaccine will provide protection from the disease after more than 21 days.