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LONDON (Bloomberg): The UK’s National Health Service launched what it has called the largest immunization campaign in its history, kicking off Covid vaccines across the country.
People 80 and older are leading the line to receive vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE on Tuesday, and tens of thousands are expected to be vaccinated in the coming days. The UK is the first Western nation to start its program, having passed the jab last week.
Meet Maggie – the first person in the world to receive a fully tested and approved Covid-19 vaccine on the NHS. pic.twitter.com/eb2ijTMSLW
– NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) December 8, 2020
– NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) December 8, 2020 Margaret keenan was the first person to receive the vaccine around 6:30 am, according to a statement. Getting an injection at a Coventry hospital was “the best anticipated birthday gift I could wish for,” said Keenan, who will turn 91 next week, because it meant he could spend time with his family and friends in the new year after being alone for most of 2020.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a “great step forward” in the fight against the coronavirus, which has infected more than 1.7 million people and killed more than 61,000 in Britain. The rapid approval of the vaccine by the United Kingdom has drawn criticism from experts in the United States. and Europe, although national regulators say they have prioritized safety.
The stakes are high for the Johnson government after previous missteps in its handling of the pandemic, with the UK recording the highest death toll in Europe from the virus and reeling from the economic fallout of repeated lockdowns. He now faces the logistical challenge of implementing the vaccine in a country of 67 million people, amid concerns that the end-of-the-year holidays could spark a new wave of infections.
“Mass vaccination will take time, and we must keep our eyes clear on the challenges that remain,” Johnson said in a statement.
As the program intensifies in the coming weeks, Britons must continue to follow social distancing rules in their area, the prime minister said. Around 99% of England’s population is currently at the top two tiers of restrictions, with many regions forced to close pubs and restaurants, as the government tries to curb the spread of the virus.
50 hospitals
Fifty hospitals are initially participating in the vaccination campaign and have begun reserving injections for those over 80 and working with nursing home providers to get their employees into vaccination clinics. About 800,000 doses are expected to be available in the first week, with up to 4 million available by the end of the year, according to NHS Providers, which represents hospitals.
Any unused quotes for these groups will be available to healthcare workers most at risk of serious illness from Covid-19, NHS England said. All vaccinated will need a second injection 21 days after the initial injection.
Several community family doctors will begin vaccination next week, before mass vaccination centers, based in sports venues and conference centers, come online when more supplies of the vaccine are available. – Bloomberg
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