Ignacio Aguado, the deputy leader of the Madrid region with more than 6 million inhabitants, addressing a press conference said health authorities would use its remaining BioNtech-Pfizer doses to administer the second jab to people who had already received the first dose. "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. Enrique Ruiz Escudero, the Madrid region's health authority, confirmed that it had suspended its vaccination plan for frontline health workers, informed last week. The Spanish Ministry of Health on Wednesday reported that 1,356,461 doses have been administered. 

Spanish government had said it expects to inoculate 2.9 million people by the end of March and around 20 million people by June. One of the hardest-hit countries in Europe, Spain has so far registered 2,670,102 confirmed coronavirus cases and 57,291 deaths. 

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