Regional health board chief André Rouvoet has suggesting opening up the coronavirus vaccination schedule to others so that the stockpiled supply of AstraZeneca vaccines can be used up.

Last week some 135,000 doses were not used because not enough people were making appointments for a vaccination. While the reasons are still being researched, officials suggest that long waits at call centres and a reluctance by some people to accept the AstraZeneca jab may be behind the low take-up rate.

‘We should be using the available vaccines as soon as we can,’ Rouvoet said. ‘And if we [the health boards] can play a role in this, then we will be pleased to do so. No-one benefits from vaccines waiting in storage.’

Rouvoet says the health boards have capacity to carry out one million vaccinations a week. ‘Last week we gave 200,000, so we have enormous overcapacity and the vaccines,’ he said.

The decision about who to call up for vaccinations is up to the government.

Currently, people aged 60 to 64 and people with obesity and Down’s syndrome are being invited to make a vaccination appointment.

From next week, people aged 73 and 74 will be called up for a Pfizer vaccination.