People could be forced to wait up to two years to access a Covid-19 vaccine due to the UK government’s failure to secure vital supply chain items, experts have warned.
Concern has been raised that the UK does not have enough medical-grade glass vials, refrigerated lorries or PPE for the mass rollout of a vaccine across the country.
This comes despite claims made by health secretary Matt Hancock that a vaccine could be ready on a nationwide scale in the early part of next year.
– Testing capacity ‘should be stepped up’ to help students
The government should “step up” testing capacity to help ensure university students can return home for Christmas, the shadow education secretary has said.
Appearing on Sky News, Kate Green said: “Students will desperately want to be able to go home to be with friends and family at Christmas.
“And, of course, it’s right that we all have a part to play in keeping distance and keeping safe.
“But the real key to this is getting the mass testing rolled out so that students can be tested, we can know if somebody is testing positive and make sure that they are isolated and don’t travel.
“But it would mean the other students would be able to get back home for Christmas and that’s why the government needs to step up too and make sure that that testing capacity is available.”
Ms Green also apologised for comments relating to the Covid-19 pandemic in which she said the Labour Party should not “let a good crisis go to waste”.
