THE UK’s first doses of the American Moderna vaccine will be jabbed into Brits arms today – weeks ahead of schedule.
Doses of the jab will be rolled out in West Wales according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to hand a much needed boost to the nation’s sluggish deployment over the Easter weekend.
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Britain has secured 17 million doses, which were given the green-light buy medicines regulator the MHRA back in January.
The US jab was always expected in the “spring” but yesterday Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi played down their imminent arrival.
He had said he expected doses to go into arms “around the third week of April”, with “more volume” expected by May.
Ministers have warned that April will see a slow down of the inoculation against the dead virus, but the 500,000 batch of Moderna will help keep the numbers ticking over until more stocks of AstraZeneca and Pfizer arrive.
Mr Hancock said: “I’m delighted we can start the UK rollout of the Moderna vaccine in west Wales today.
“The UK government has secured vaccines on behalf of the entire nation and the vaccination programme has shown our country working together at its best.
“Three out of every five people across the whole United Kingdom have received at least one dose, and today we start with the third approved vaccine.
“Wherever you live, when you get the call, get the jab.”
