The UK has switched gears and delayed administering the second Covid-19 dose to those who have received the first, instead of seeking to give out as many first doses as possible. The decision was announced on Tuesday and has been criticized due to tot eh lack of data on the extent of immunity offered by a single dose. Scientists in Europe have been debating whether people should receive one dose or two, given the scarcity of the vaccine and the difficulty of fending off winter surges in infections.
While one dose may offer sufficient immunity to quell the spread of the virus, there isn’t solid data confirming this as the clinical trials were centered around the two-dose regimen. Britain has been under intense stress following the discovery of a mutated strain of the virus that is seemingly more transmissible. The country is the first in Europe to change its vaccine administration policy. The UK stressed that all vaccine recipients will eventually receive the second dose, however, it might be much later than planned.
Read More: U.K. Delays Second Covid-19 Vaccine Dose as Europe Ponders How to Speed Up Immunization
