Asked he would prioritise vaccinating teenagers over more vulnerable people globally, Hancock said: "My first duty as health secretary for the UK is to make sure that the UK is protected and safe." Britain has ordered over 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 67 million, most of which are two-shot vaccines. "As and when the UK has excess doses of vaccine, then, if we don't need them, we'll make sure they're available to others," Hancock said. "It doesn't need us to change the intellectual property rules because they are important rules for future investment in future vaccines." (Reporting by Alistair Smout in Oxford, additional reporting by William James and Paul Sandle in London; editing by Michael Holden)

Source: The Star June 04, 2021 16:25 UTC