Covid-19: Bumper weeks ahead for vaccine supply in London, says minister

London MPs from all parties have expressed concern about vaccine supply and take-up

There will be a massive step-change to vaccine supply in London says the minister responsible Nadhim Zahawi.

His comments follow concerns raised by some London MPs about the vaccine rollout in their constituencies.

They were speaking at a parliamentary debate on the Covid-19 vaccine take-up rates in London.

Low supply, health inequalities and vaccine hesitancy were among the concerns raised.

Conservative MP for Harrow East Bob Blackman said in his constituency low vaccine supply was a "really serious problem".

He said the capacity at local vaccination centres was "roughly 860 doses a day but this week they're only receiving 400 doses".

Labour MP for Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush Andy Slaughter, who called the debate, said there were significant differences in the take-up of the vaccine depending on where people live.

He said: "When one adds in deprivation, looking at, say, the most deprived 10% of the population, when one adds in ethnicity and certain ethnic groups which are vaccinated at a much lower rates than others we're often talking about 50% and that should be ringing alarm bells in Whitehall and it's certainly ringing alarm bells locally and we have not cracked that nut."

'High demand, low supply'

MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Catherine West said it was a "tale of two cities" within her constituency.

She said a decade of neglect to address health inequalities is showing itself in the vaccine strategy.

The MP said a doctor in Wood Green made 30 phone calls and of those only one of those was keen to take the offer up.

In Enfield North, Feryal Clark, the Labour MP, said the wards with the highest Covid rates did not have vaccine centres close to them.

"Where the demand is greatest, the supply is low". She said the nearest vaccine centre for her constituents in these wards are two bus rides away.

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The debate comes as analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures into the take up rates reveal the London borough of Tower Hamlets had the lowest take up rate of anywhere in England at 14%.

The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali said the solution was to make sure the vaccines were in the right places.

She called for the vaccine to get to local GP surgeries, more vaccines to pharmacies and to pop-up centres. She said the lack of predictability with supplies was leading to sub-optimal outcomes.

Step change

Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi responded to their concerns at the end of the debate, saying there would be a "step change" in the number of doses rolled out.

He expressed concern about the uptake amongst BAME members of the community and was working closely with community leaders.

He said: "We are working towards accelerating the pace of rollout with some bumper weeks ahead from the middle of this month allowing us to ramp up the vaccination."

He also confirmed the scheduled supply of vaccine will support Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) priorities 1-9 by mid-April.