Covid vaccines for England’s under-50s delayed due to major shortage

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People under 50 will have to wait a month longer than planned for their Covid vaccination because of a major shortage of vaccine that will start at the end of the month, NHS bosses have admitted.

NHS England told health service chiefs in a letter on Wednesday that the government’s vaccines task force has “notified us that there will be a significant reduction in weekly supply available from manufacturers beginning in the week commencing 29 March”.

As a result all vaccination sites in England have been told to not book anyone under 50 in for their first dose between 1 and 30 April and to concentrate instead on jabbing everyone over 50s and administering second doses.