Moderna vaccine begins UK rollout in Wales

The Moderna vaccine will be rolled out for the first time in the UK to residents in west Wales from Wednesday, the Welsh government has announced. 

The UK government has ordered 17m doses of the Moderna vaccine, which will be the third to be administered in the UK, since the rollout began in December last year. The vaccine was first approved by the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, in January. 

The announcement follows growing concern surrounding the possible link between the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots.

“I’m delighted we can start the UK rollout of the Moderna vaccine in west Wales today,” Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said. “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.”

Earlier on Tuesday Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine minister, said the Moderna vaccine would be “in deployment” across the UK around the third week of April, with more volume expected in May. 

The health secretary said that approximately three out of every five adults had now been vaccinated with at least one dose across the UK, and urged the public to maintain confidence in the rollout, adding: “Wherever you live, when you get the call, get the jab.”

On Tuesday, Oxford university announced that it would pause its trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on children aged between six and 17, as the MHRA continues its investigation into possible links between the jab and blood clotting in adult patients.

The MHRA has in recent weeks stressed that instances of blood clotting following the vaccine remain rare and that its benefits largely outweigh the risks.

The regulator said last week that only 30 people had been recorded as suffering rare blood clots, while more than 18m AstraZeneca doses had been administered in the UK.

European countries including France and Germany have advised younger citizens not the take the jab. Earlier this week reports emerged that the MHRA was looking into offering young patients within the UK, notably those under 30, an alternative jab.

However, in a statement on Monday, June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, said the review was “ongoing”, adding: “No decision has yet been made on any regulatory action.”

The MHRA and the European regulator, the European Medicines Agency, are expected to outline new risk assessments this week. Both have previously argued that there is no conclusive link between the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the rare blood clots.

Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Boris Johnson signalled that the government would be following the matter closely and would be led by the guidance of the MHRA.

“On the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the best thing people should do is look at what the MHRA say, our independent regulator. That’s why we have them, that’s why they are independent,” the prime minister said on a visit to an AstraZeneca plant.

More than 31m people across the UK have now been vaccinated with their first jab, with the government now aiming to offer all adults their first dose by the end of July.

However, on Tuesday evening, one member of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation argued that the government could consider “slowing” down the vaccination rollout in light of the investigations surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Maggie Wearmouth told the Telegraph newspaper: “We’re not here to blindly follow targets or due dates. We will do what is necessary for the British public.”