Britain to adapt vaccine rollout to tackle Indian variant

A dose of vaccine is prepared at Covid-19 vaccination centre in the Odeon Luxe Cinema in Maidstone, Britain

* Cases of B.1.617.2 variant double in a week * UK could speed up vaccine campaign in some areas * Restrictions due to ease in May and June Britain could accelerate its vaccine rollout in areas where a highly infectious coronavirus variant first detected in India has emerged, a move meant to prevent it from derailing a planned economic reopening. The UK has delivered one of the world's fastest inoculation campaigns, giving a first shot to almost 70% of the adult population and a second to 36%, helping to reduce infection rates and deaths. But the emergence of the highly infectious B.1.617.2 variant in parts of northern England and London has threatened a planned full reopening due to take place in June, prompting a rethink on ways to speed up the vaccination drive.