Bottles of the AstraZeneca vaccine Credit: AP/ Frank Augstein

 

There remain more than 100 countries where not a single dose of the vaccine has been administered, whilst most vaccinations delivered so far have been done so by high-income countries.

The UK has ordered more than 400 million doses of various COVID-19 vaccines, with the UK population estimated to be around 66.8 million, leaving a considerable surplus.

In an interview given to the Financial Times, French President Emmanuel Macron has urged high-income European countries to donate vaccinations now, saying that richer nations should send 4-5% of their supplies to developing countries.

However, for the UK to decide how many vaccines they will be able to donate, further decisions need to be made on the vaccine supply chain and whether autumn booster shots are required before an exact donation figure can be detailed.

But, in Radio 4’s Today programme, Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said Mr Johnson would be “looking at a figure significantly greater than that [the 4-5% suggested by President Macron]”.