UK to protect population before donating vaccines abroad, minister says

FILE PHOTO: People wait in line in front of De Montfort Hall to receive the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, in Leicester, Britain May 27, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

OXFORD, England (Reuters) - Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Friday vaccinating children in the United Kingdom against COVID-19 would take priority over donating vaccine doses to other countries around the world.

Britain's medicine regulator on Friday approved Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine for use in 12-15 year olds, but global health bodies warn that if rich countries prioritise low-risk members of their own populations over broadening access globally, they risk disaster.