LONDON: The British government on Saturday hailed its coronavirus vaccination program as “a huge success” after announcing half of the adult population had now received a jab.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the biggest vaccine drive in the country’s history, which began in early December, was “making massive strides” following a record number of inoculations Friday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to get a jab that day, receiving a first dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine at the same London hospital where he fought for his life almost a year ago after contracting COVID-19.
Britain has vaccinated nearly 27 million people, and administered on average more than 421,000 doses a day in the week to Monday, according to the latest health ministry statistics.
However, the state-run National Health Service (NHS) in England warned this week in a letter to local vaccination centers that doses will be “significantly constrained” from March 29 for four weeks.
The setback means the next phase of the inoculation campaign, covering people in their 40s, will have to be suspended until May, the letter said.
The government has insisted the change, caused by a supply shortfall from the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine maker, would not derail its plan to ease COVID-19 lockdowns in the coming months.
“I am absolutely delighted to tell you that we have now vaccinated half of all adults in the United Kingdom. It’s a huge success,” Hancock said in a video posted on Twitter.
“It’s so important, because this vaccine is our way out of this pandemic.”
Britain’s successful vaccination campaign contrasts with Europe, which has struggled with its own rollout and has been seeing a fresh surge in infections.
The AstraZeneca jab was suspended in several EU countries this month, pending a review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) following isolated cases of blood clots and brain hemorrhages.
The EMA restated its approval for the vaccine on Thursday, as did the WHO and Britain’s own drugs regulator, leading some European countries to resume administering the vaccine.
UK coronavirus vaccine drive ‘huge success’ after jabbing half of all adults
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UK coronavirus vaccine drive ‘huge success’ after jabbing half of all adults
- Britain has vaccinated nearly 27 million people, and administered on average more than 421,000 doses a day in the week
Europol warns Iran crisis raises threat of terror, extremism and cyberattacks
- Oorth said groups linked to Iran could seek to carry out “destabilising activities” within the EU
- “The level of terrorist threat and violent extremism in EU territory is considered high“
MADRID: The Middle East conflict will have “immediate repercussions” for European Union security with an increased threat of terrorism, serious and organized crime as well as violent extremism and cyberattacks, European police body Europol told Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday.
Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth said he expected to see more cyberattacks against European infrastructure and an increase in online fraud using increasingly sophisticated Artificial Intelligence and exploiting the flurry of information swirling about the conflict online, EFE reported.
Groups linked to Iran could seek to carry out “destabilising activities” within the EU, he added, referring to groups linked to the so-called Axis of Resistance, the network of anti-American and Israeli Shiite militias in countries including Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. These could include terrorist attacks, intimidation campaigns, terrorist financing and cybercrime.
“The level of terrorist threat and violent extremism in EU territory is considered high,” he told the news agency.
The terror threat could be heightened by individuals acting alone or small cells acting on their own initiative, he said.
“The rapid spread of polarizing content on the Internet can accelerate short-term radicalization processes among diaspora communities within the EU and other individuals,” he said.
Europol did not immediately return a Reuters request for comment on the reported statements.
Iran and Israel on Thursday were exchanging fire on a sixth day of war after Israel and the United States launched joint air strikes on Iran on the weekend. So far the attacks have killed more than 1,000 people including Iran’s Supreme Leader, prompted Iran to attack neighbors including Qatar and UAE along with energy shipments.
