LONDON (Reuters) – Nearly 20,000 second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech were given to people in England before guidelines were changed to prioritize the first dose, the National Health Service said on Thursday.
The figures showed that 19,981 second vaccinations were given between December 29 and January 3, out of a total of 1.1 million administered in England. Across the UK as a whole, 1.3 million doses have been used.
The day after the second vaccine was launched, health officials said they would prioritize giving some people the first impression of the COVID-19 vaccine to provide some protection against the spread of elevated pictures.
That means second sightings are now given up to 12 weeks after the first sightings, prompting criticism from some scientists, and harassment from people who have seen jobs posted off.
While AstraZeneca pill has been tested with different intervals between doses, Pfizer has stated that there are no data to reveal the effectiveness of the first dose after 21 days.
On Tuesday, England’s chief medical officer said the balance of risk supported the move, with a single-dose entry protection more than 50% even if it posed a slight “mutant escape” risk. ”Den coronavirus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes that by giving at least some protection to more than 13 million people in priority groups over the next six weeks, it will be possible to consider reducing tight locking measures from the middle of now. February.
Reciting with Alistair Smout; edited by Michael Holden