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A member of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine team expects 2 million doses will be supplied each week in the UK. Image Credit: AFP

London: A member of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine team expects 2 million doses will be supplied each week in the U.K. from the middle of January, the Times of London reported.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier this week that only 530,000 doses of the vaccine would be ready on Monday.

Pace of production

The Oxford team is frustrated that the poor state of the country’s manufacturing capacity has affected the pace of production, the newspaper said, citing the group member.

The U.K.’s scientific advisers estimate that 2 million vaccinations a week are needed, on top of a lockdown including school closures, to prevent pressure on intensive-care units from exceeding the levels of the first wave, the Times reported.

The U.K. has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, according to the newspaper.