Last checked at 
* Health minister cites "lumpy" supply
* Health service letter says supply to be constrained for 4
weeks
* Pfizer, AstraZeneca each say delivery schedules unaffected
(Adds AstraZeneca comment, context on other vaccines)
By Alistair Smout and Michael Holden
LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Britain will see a significant
reduction in the amount of COVID-19 vaccines available at the
end of the month due to a cut in manufacturing supply, it said
on Wednesday, in a setback to one of the world's fastest
inoculation rollouts.
Britain is on track to have given a first COVID-19 shot to
half of all adults in the next few days and passed 25 million
first shots on Wednesday, making it the most extensive and
quickest programme so far in a European country.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the country remained on
track to have vaccinated priority groups by April 15 and all
adults by the end of July.
Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc, makers of
the two vaccines being used in the country, each said their
delivery schedules had not been impacted, and Hancock played
down the setback.
"Vaccine supply is always lumpy and we regularly send out
technical letters to the NHS to explain the ups and downs of the
supply over the future weeks," Hancock told reporters.
A letter sent around to the state-run health service said
there would be a "significant reduction in weekly supply
available from manufacturers" from the week commencing March 29,
meaning volumes for first doses will be significantly
constrained.
Manufacturers predict this will continue for four weeks due
to cuts in national inbound vaccines supply, it continued.
The letter said vaccination centres should guarantee no
further appointments for April, and focus on ensuring all those
in the most vulnerable categories had received their first shot,
and those who have already received a dose got a second.
Sterling fell to its lowest of the day versus the
dollar in the hour after the letter was first reported, dipping
from $1.3882 to $1.3849 but remaining within the range seen in
recent days.
Hancock did not say why there would be a reduction in
supplies. Britain has been issuing shots made by AstraZeneca and
Pfizer/BioNTech, both of which have struggled to meet
European Union contract obligations due to production issues.
A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: "Our UK domestic supply
chain is not experiencing any disruption and there is no impact
on our delivery schedule."
Pfizer, which is contracted to supply 40 million doses to
Britain, said it was on course to meet its delivery targets for
the first three months of the year, in line with the agreed
monthly schedule.
"We will work closely with the government to ensure this
remains the case; our overall projected supply for Q2 remains
unchanged and we are on course to continue to deliver a steady
supply of vaccines to the UK, April through to June, in line
with our contractual commitments," a spokeswoman said.
'A UK-FUNDED, UK DELIVERED VACCINE'
Britain has approved a third vaccine from Moderna Inc
, with first deliveries expected in the spring, while
its medicine regulator is assessing a one-shot vaccine made by
Johnson & Johnson.
The opposition Labour Party was critical of the government's
response, saying dismissing concerns about the supply issues was
not good enough.
The problem comes as Brussels threatens to ban exports of
COVID-19 vaccines to Britain to safeguard scarce doses for its
own citizens as it aired frustration over a lack of deliveries
moving from AstraZeneca in Britain to Europe.
Hancock said the vaccine had been developed with funding
from the British government and Britain had a legal right to the
shots.
"We set up the supply chain, not just here in the UK but
indeed, we helped set up the supply chain in the EU," he said.
"We legally signed a contract for delivery of the first 100
million doses here for people in the UK, as you would expect,
both to ensure that people in the UK can get their jab and also
because this is a UK-funded, UK-delivered vaccine."
(Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Philippa Fletcher and Bill
Berkrot)
