No plans for UK to order more supplies of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

The Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid shot still has an important role to play globally, particularly in developing countries, as it doesn’t have the same storage and transport issues the mRNA vaccines have, Prof Anthony Harnden said. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

There are no plans to order further supplies of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine for the UK, it has been revealed, as experts expressed hope that a new jab designed to target two variants will form the backbone of the autumn booster programme.

Deemed a British success story, and estimated to have saved millions of lives worldwide, the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid jab played a key role early in the UK’s vaccination programme. But Prof Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has suggested it is unlikely to be used in the future.