By Alistair Smout.
Oxford, England (Reuters) – British health secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday, children in the UK against Covid-19 will prioritize vaccine doses in other countries around the world.
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US. to share 25 mln doses of covid-19 vaccine globally
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Now play. To share 25 mln doses of covid-19 vaccine globally
US. To send 25 mln covid-19 vaccines globally – WH
Boris Johnson received a second covid vaccine dose
Coronavirus Vaccine: 65 million jabs given in the UK so far
Vaccine in number: 39,379,411 received the first dose
British regulators on Friday approved the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine to be used at the age of 12-15 years, but the global health agency warned that if rich countries prioritize low-risk members from their own population of expanding access globally, they are at risk of disaster.
Asked he would prioritize adolescent emptying for people who were more vulnerable globally, Hancock said: “My first task as a health secretary for England is to ensure that Britain is protected and safe.”
“While fortunately children are very rarely influenced by Covid themselves, they can still continue the disease, and that’s my first task,” Hancock told Reuters after meeting Minister of Health G7 in Oxford, Central England.
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“Along with me working with my international colleagues to ensure that people can get access to vaccines around the world.”
English arm.
Hancock has held health ministers from rich countries (G7) who were met at Oxford University, where the Covid-19 vaccine astrazeneca was found, ahead of the meeting of the G7 leaders next week.
The ministers agreed a series of new standards to improve clinical trials, and support for vaccine contributions when domestic conditions were permitted.
President U.S. Joe Biden described the plan to share 25 million surplus vaccines globally on Thursday, while France also said it would donate doses to Senegal.
But even though Britain has given the first Covid-19 vaccine for three quarters of adults, and fully vaccinated half the population of adults, Hancock said the country had not been in a position to contribute doses.
The UK has ordered more than 500 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine for the population of 67 million, which is mostly two gunshot vaccines.
“Like and when England has a dose of excessive vaccine, then, if we don’t need it, we will make sure they are available to others,” Hancock said.
“But at this time we don’t have an excess dose, because as soon as the dose is available for England, we inject it in the English arm.”
Biden also voiced support for the neglect of a vaccine patent to increase vaccine production and allow distribution of more equitable shots, but Britain and several European countries have stated reservations.
Hancock said England had taken a big step by making Oxford / Astrazeneca shots available at a cost, quoting how half a billion doses of vaccines had been delivered globally.
“The truth is that you don’t need IP neglect to send vaccines, at no cost for intellectual property rights, you can continue and do it,” Hancock said.
“No need we change the rules of intellectual property because they are important rules for investment in the future in the vaccine in the future.”
(Reporting by Alistair Smout in Oxford, additional reporting by William James and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Michael Holden)