First Oxford jabs given amid vaccine scheduling debate

Researchers say delaying second Covid vaccine doses puts UK in position to provide vital data

People in the UK have received the first doses of the recently authorised Covid-19 vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, as experts debate delaying the second dose to increase the number of those who can be initially protected.

The government has secured access to 100 million doses of the vaccine, co-developed with AstraZeneca, and the race is on to roll them out quickly as cases and hospitalisations across the country rise. Many experts are already calling for another national lockdown and tougher restrictions.