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* UK says AstraZeneca slower than hoped
* UK says Pfizer changes may lead to delays
* UK is vaccinating 140 people per minute on average
(Recasts headline and lead with manufacturing issues)
By Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton
LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Britain's vaccine rollout is
limited by a "lumpy" manufacturing process with production
changes by Pfizer and a delay by AstraZeneca
that could lead to brief supply disruption, Vaccine Deployment
Minister Nadhim Zahawi said on Monday.
The United Kingdom, which has the world's fifth worst
official COVID-19 death toll, is racing to be among the first
major countries to vaccinate its population - seen as the best
way to exit the pandemic and get the economy going again.
The United Kingdom has vaccinated 3,857,266 people with a
first dose and 449,736 with a second dose. On vaccines
administered per 100 people, the United Kingdom is fourth in the
world after Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Zahawi told LBC radio that the United Kingdom was hoping for
2 million vaccines a week from AstraZeneca but that
those numbers will not be reached until mid February. Still, he
said the UK was on course to hit its rollout targets.
"It's been a bit lumpy," Zahawi said of vaccine manufacture.
Pfizer will temporarily reduce its deliveries to Europe of
its vaccine against COVID-19 while it upgrades its production
capacity.
"There's bound to be delays. Any new manufacturing process
has challenges at the outset, it is lumpy, it begins to
stabilise and get better and better week in, week out," Zahawi
told the BBC.
"The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine is a messenger RNA chemical,
difficult chemical to manufacture, very very challenging but
they're doing really well, they want to do more which is why
they're reconfiguring to add volume to the whole world," Zahawi
said.
"That could delay supply but I'm confident we can meet our
target."
VACCINE HOPES
Mass COVID-19 vaccines are seen as the best way to exit the
pandemic which has killed more than 2 million people, wiped out
trillions of dollars in economic output and upended normal life
for people across the world.
The United Kingdom is vaccinating 140 people per minute
against COVID-19 on average.
"It is going well, we're vaccinating on average 140 people,
that's first jab, literally a minute. That's the average so some
areas are doing better," Zahawi told Sky.
Britain is currently rolling out the vaccine to the most
vulnerable first, starting with those who are in care homes or
over 80 years of age. In areas where a majority of over 80s have
been offered a vaccine, letters are going out to the over 70s
and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
Zahawi said a 24-hour vaccine offering would begin to be
piloted in London by the end of the month.
Essential workers such as teachers, the police and shop
assistants could move to the top of the list for a vaccine once
all those over 50 have been offered a shot, Zahawi said.
"Teachers, police officers, shop workers, those who through
no fault of their own other than the work that they do may come
into contact with the virus in much greater volume, should be
top of the list," Zahawi told Times Radio.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton; editing by
Sarah Young, Paul Sandle and Philippa Fletcher)
