UK should cut its 12-week delay between vaccine doses, doctors group says - CNN

Britain is prioritizing giving more of its most at-risk citizens a first dose of a vaccine, and has delayed appointments for a second jab.

But the decision has been debated in the medical community, and the chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) urged ministers to follow the "best practice" and cut the wait time to six weeks for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

Pfizer/BioNTech recommend the second dose takes place 21 days after the first, and have said there's no data to support a 12-week gap.

"What we're saying is that the UK should adopt this best practice based on international professional opinion," BMA chairman Dr.

"No other nation has adopted the UK's approach."

In a statement to CNN, a BMA spokesperson said the letter informs Whitty of "the growing concern from the medical profession regarding the delay of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as the UK's strategy has become increasingly isolated from many other countries."

The group told CNN they were also concerned about the availability of the vaccine in the coming weeks, saying their members feel that "given the unpredictability of supplies, there may not be any guarantees that second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available in 12 weeks' time."

"The Association is urging the (Chief Medical Officer) to urgently review the UK's current position of second doses after 12 weeks," they said.