UK adds 2 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, upping stockpile to 357 million doses
- The UK government said on Sunday it added 2 million Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses to its stockpile, bringing the total to 357 million, according to a press release.
- The prime minister, Boris Johnson, appointed Nadhim Zahawi, minister for business and industry, to oversee the vaccine rollout.
- Johnson is also urging ministers to approve a new lockdown system, which will be in place until February, according to Sky News.
The UK government on Sunday said it had secured another 2 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, bringing total doses promised to the government to 357 million.
"With a wide range of vaccine candidates in our portfolio, we stand ready to deploy a vaccine should they receive approval from our medicines regulator, starting with those who will benefit most," said the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, in a government press release.
The total number of Moderna doses ordered by the UK have now reached 7 million.
While the vaccines aren't yet approved, the government is readying a plan to distribute them. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday appointed Nadhim Zahawi, minister for business and industry, to oversee the vaccine rollout.
The rollout may begin soon.
Moderna's vaccine is one of several that are currently in a later phase – phase 3 – of clinical trials, along with vaccines from Novavax, the partnership of University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and the partnership of Pfizer and BioNTech.
The government has secured a total of 207 million vaccine doses from companies in phase 3 trials, along with another 150 million doses from companies that are in phase 1, phase 2, or a pre-clinical phase.
UK vaccine agreement totals:
- 100 million – University of Oxford and AstraZeneca
- 60 million – Novavax
- 60 million – Valneva
- 60 million – GSK and Sanofi Pasteur
- 40 million – BioNTech and Pfizer
- 30 million – Janssen
- 7 million – Moderna
The vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech could be approved this week, according to The Financial Times. Some NHS staff have reportedly been told to expect vaccine doses to be distributed by as early as December 7. It's expected that frontline workers, including hospital staff, will be among the first to receive doses after government approvals.
Meanwhile, the UK's latest coronavirus lockdown is scheduled to end December 2. Lawmakers on Tuesday will vote on whether to back Johnson's call for continued tiered restrictions. These are expected to keep most of the country in higher-risk tiers.
Johnson has sent a letter to ministers, asking them to approve a new system, which is expected to last until February 3, according to Sky News. A "growing number" of conservative ministers oppose Johnson's plan, however, saying they hurt businesses, Reuters reported Sunday.