COVID-19: Moderna Vaccine To Be Distributed In The UK From April

The Moderna coronavirus vaccine is set to be distributed in different parts of the United Kingdom beginning from April, as announced by the government.

The announcement was made on Sunday, March 28, with the government issuing a warning to the public to remain cautious ahead of the end of some restrictions in England.

England will enter the second phase of the easing of its lockdown on Monday as the "stay at home" order will be lifted, organized outdoor sports will resume, and people will be able to gather outdoors in groups of six or a maximum of two households.

Speaking on the new development, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, "We must remain cautious, with cases rising across Europe and new variants threatening our vaccine rollout.

"Everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called."

The Moderna vaccine

According to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the jab made by the US company Moderna will be administered by the NHS from April.

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17 million doses of the vaccine (approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in January) have been ordered by the UK. It is said to be 95 percent effective in preventing the virus.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is the third vaccine to be rolled out in the United Kingdom following the BioNTech/Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs.

In the wake of recent concerns over supplies, the UK government has stated that it would be able to offer second doses within 12 weeks and remains confident in its ability to vaccinate all adults by the end of July, as disclosed by Dowden on Sunday.

"We always knew that there would be ups and downs in terms of the vaccine rollout. We were surging ahead a couple of weeks ago, and there has been a bit of a slowdown now, but that doesn't undermine our confidence that we will be able to deliver for that crucial group, the over-50s by the middle of April."

Over 30 million in the UK have been vaccinated with their first dose, while 3.5 million have had their second jab.