Pharmacists said the distribution of the vaccine had gone “very smoothly” until reports of a temporary cessation of immunizations in some European countries.
Omar Hamed, from Everest Pharmacy, Manchester, said: “There is a lot of fear out there right now, people are very cautious about the AstraZeneca vaccine. We may have canceled around 15 cancellations each day over the past week, ”he told Pharmacist magazine.
Mr Hamed was among many pharmacists who said younger people were more likely to be deterred by reports from Europe.
Dr Dave Triska, a GP partner in Surrey, said: ‘About 10 per cent of our workload today has been on vaccination issues,’ he told Pulse magazine. “It’s done a lot of damage already.”
Aman Sehdev, from Masters Pharmacy, Oldbury, Birmingham, who has been vaccinating around 1,000 patients a week, said European countries’ actions had had a “significant impact” on careers.
One GP reported that practices in south-east London reported that previously fully registered vaccine clinics had a “no attendance” rate of between 5 and 10 per cent last week.
An NHS director has expressed concern about what GPs should do with the unused Covid vaccine after NHS England said children under 50 should not be given their first dose in April.
Dr David Lewis, co-clinical director of the Liverpool Central Primary Care Network, raised concerns that GPs could throw away vaccines, as they were told not to give it early, or to healthy people under 50 .
He said practices in his area were currently “vaccinated” and he had made strenuous efforts to offer it to everyone who deserved it, but not enough people were coming forward.
Dr Lewis said: “We have a team of people who call patients every day, but we still have prescriptions, and extra vaccinations.
“Now we have the options: to invite people for their second vaccine a little early – strongly discouraged by NHS England and it goes against the principle of having so many people vaccinated Yes, invite younger adults – NHS England in particular has banned us from doing this, even if we have vaccines and immunizations, give it to someone else – everyone is in the same situation ; trash it – this would be a tragedy. “
Last night, Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, told a conference in Downing Street that there were “reported reports” of a small number of people not coming up for jobs.
But he said he doubted much would go ahead now, having been encouraged by the decisions of the European Pharmaceutical Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and World Health Organization.
“There is no evidence of a major problem that people do not want a vaccine,” he said.
The NHS in question said: “The NHS has done a fantastic job of vaccinating over 21 million of our country’s most at-risk vaccines, with more supplies coming online. this week and next week, anyone aged 50 and over or with underlying health conditions should keep their kick.
“The NHS has been very clear through the vaccination program that doses never have to be consumed, and when supply is limited in April, vaccination sites will be expected to continue for humans. most at risk as advised by the JCVI, and warns of their local vaccination. proceed to any additional doses. “