The United Kingdom (UK) says every adult in the country should get a first coronavirus vaccine jab by July 31.
The new target, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, would be reached at least a month earlier than was previously planned.
The announcement came on Sunday as the government prepared to set out a “cautious” plan to ease the UK’s lockdown.
The previous aim was for all adults to get a shot by September.
The new target also calls for everyone fifty and over and those with an underlying health condition to get their first of two vaccine shots by April 15, rather than the previous date of May 1.
The makers of the two vaccines that Britain is using, Pfizer and AstraZeneca, have both experienced supply problems in Europe. But UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Sunday that his country now had the supplies to speed up the vaccination campaign.
Analysts say the early success of Britain’s vaccination effort is welcome good news for a country that has had more than 120,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. Over 17.5 million people, a third of UK adults, have had at least one vaccine shot since inoculations began on December 8.
Britain has said it is delaying giving second vaccine doses until twelve weeks after the first, rather than three to four weeks, in order to give more people partial protection quickly.
News of the new vaccine targets came as Prime Minister Johnson met with senior ministers to finalise a “road map” out of the national lockdown.
Mr. Johnson plans to announce details in Parliament on Monday.
Faced with a dominant virus variant that scientists say is both more transmissible and more deadly than the original virus, the UK has spent much of the winter under a tight lockdown. Bars, restaurants, gyms, schools, hair salons and all non-essential shops have been closed, although grocery stores, pharmacies and take-away food venues are still open.
(AP)
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