Spain suspends first-dose vaccination in Madrid region due to shortfall

The government of the Community of Madrid on Wednesday confirmed that the region is putting on hold giving the first shot of COVID-19 vaccine for two weeks as it's running out of doses, reported Xinhua.

Speaking at a press conference, Ignacio Aguado, the deputy leader of the region with more than 6 million inhabitants, said the region's health authority would use its remaining BioNtech-Pfizer doses to give the second jab to people who had already received the first one.

"Unfortunately, as we suspected, the pace of deliveries was interrupted," he said, adding that the region would "not leave people without the very necessary second dose" of the vaccine.

"If we don't do that (administer the second dose), there is the chance that the virus could mutate and become resistant, and that would lengthen the fight against the pandemic," added Aguado.

Last week, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, who is responsible for the Madrid region's health authority, confirmed that the region had suspended its vaccination plan for health workers in the front line of the fight against the coronavirus.

The Spanish Ministry of Health on Wednesday reported that 1,356,461 doses have been administered. The government had said it hopes to have inoculated 2.9 million people by the end of March and around 20 million people by June.