Covid vaccine cuts 'kick in the teeth for Cumbria'
Cuts to coronavirus vaccines is a 'kick in the teeth' for Cumbria, the leader of the county council has said.
NHS England confirmed that the number of vaccines delivered in the North West - including South Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside - will be cut by a third in February.
North West set to have vaccine supply cut by a third due to national shortages
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The Health Service Journal said the move comes due to national shortages and the need for other regions to catch up with vaccinating their priority groups.
Commenting on news Cllr Stewart Young said: “Frankly this feels like a kick in the teeth for Cumbria. The vaccine roll-out here has been one of the most effective in the country thanks to outstanding work by our local hospitals, GP practices and others.
"To now find out that the county will be penalised for that success will rightly frustrate local people who are waiting patiently for their turn. We urgently need to understand more about the Government’s plans for vaccine distribution and why the county appears to be being put on the ‘back-burner’ for vaccine roll out.
“Our hospitals are under enormous pressure, and whilst the lockdown is reducing the number of cases, it is vital that the vaccination programme is rolled out as quickly as possible.
"The Government needs to ensure that there is enough vaccine for everyone, rather than diverting supplies meant for Cumbria to other parts of the country. ”
The Department for Health and Social Care said: “We are in constant contact with the vaccine manufacturers and remain confident that the supply of vaccine to the UK will not be disrupted. We are on track to meet our target of offering a first vaccine dose to every person in the top four priority groups by mid-February.
"We have secured access to 367 million vaccine doses and the deals we have in place with seven vaccine developers will ensure that our supply continues to grow so we can rapidly expand the rollout in the weeks ahead."