Budget 2021: UK to spend extra £1.65bn on Covid vaccine rollout
Rishi Sunak will boost the UK’s Covid vaccine rollout in Wednesday’s Budget by pledging to spend a further £1.65bn on the distribution of the two available jabs.
The chancellor said last night that the programme had been “a great success” and that it was “essential we maintain this momentum” by providing more funding for the rollout.
The government estimated in December that the rollout would cost £12bn before Sunak’s Budget boost.
The announcement will also include a £33m spending commitment to improve vaccine testing capabilities and the ability to respond to new variants and a further £22m to test if different vaccines can be used together or if a third dose would be effective.
The UK has now given more than 20m people the first dose of the Covid vaccine, with 796,000 of them also receiving the second dose.
The government announced on Friday that people aged 40 to 49 will be the next group of people offered the jab, after a review by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The UK is aiming to have all adults offered a Covid vaccine by 31 July.
“The UK’s vaccination programme has been a great success and is protecting lives and livelihoods, with over 19m people already receiving their first dose,” Sunak said.
“But it’s essential we maintain this momentum.
“Protecting ourselves against the virus means we will be able to lift restrictions, reopen our economy and focus our attention on creating jobs and stimulating growth.”