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How the UK s Covid-19 vaccines chief bucked the rules to get it to the front of the queue Feb 06, 2021, 09:15 AM
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Kirsty O Connor/PA via Getty Images
Kate Bingham paused her career in venture capital to head up the United Kingdom s Covid-19 vaccine effort.
The UK has leapt ahead in the vaccine race, securing access to 407 million doses of seven types.
Here s the set of high-risk decisions she took to turbo-charge the country s vaccine drive.
Kate Bingham put her role as a life-sciences venture capitalist on hold last July when she was approached by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to head up the UK s Vaccine Taskforce (VTF).
Kate Bingham put her role as a life-sciences venture capitalist on hold last July when she was approached by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to head up the UK s Vaccine Taskforce (VTF).
A year into the pandemic despite limited buying power the UK has secured deals for 407 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from several companies, according to the government.
As of February 1, 13.7% of the country s population has had at least a first dose of the two-part Pfizer vaccine, according to The Times of London outstripping progress in the US and European Union.
In the US, President Joe Biden s administration is hurrying to bring order to his predecessor s patchwork, state-by-state vaccine distribution effort that saw the country finish 2020 far short of its vaccination goal.