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The coronavirus vaccine could start rolling out in England in just 10 days, it is reported.
Hospitals could receive the first doses of the jab created by Pfizer / BioNTech the following week, according to The Guardian.
A senior hospital executive was told to expect the first deliveries on Dec. 7 and that staff vaccinations would begin the following week.
NHS England has yet to confirm a date for the rollout of any jabs as there are still several stages to complete before the green light can be given.
However, it is also understood that 10 days would be a reasonable period of time if the vaccine was approved imminently, as expected.
On November 20, the Secretary of Health said that he had formally asked the MHRA to evaluate the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for use in the UK.
Matt Hancock hailed it as “another important step forward in dealing with this pandemic.”
But he said that while the regulator’s approval would see a rollout set to begin next month, there is still “a long way to go.”
The drugs regulator confirmed on Monday that it had received the data necessary to advance its review of the world’s leading candidate.
The Guardian also reported that the Pfizer vaccine will be administered first to NHS personnel due to its short shelf life and the logistical difficulties involved in its transportation.
The jab should be stored at -70 ° C until the day of use, a temperature that is far beyond the reach of standard hospital refrigerators.
When it comes to administering the vaccine, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) interim guidance has placed elderly nursing home residents front of the line, followed by health and social care workers, who they are on an equal footing with others. 80s.
People aged 18 and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable will now be given the same priority as those aged 70 and over, including those with conditions like blood, bone, or lung cancer, chronic kidney disease, and Down syndrome.
However, the JCVI guidance also states that the final decision on how health workers and social workers would be prioritized would depend on the characteristics of the vaccine.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca jab is also being evaluated by the MHRA
/ AP )The UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer jab and expects 10 million doses by the end of the year.
The UK also ordered 100 million doses of a vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, which does not need to be kept at such low temperatures.
The Oxford jab was also submitted to the MHRA for approval.
Senior health officials previously said that GPs in England will receive a 10-day notice before the launch of the Covid vaccine begins.
A letter from Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England Chief Medical Officer, and Ed Waller, NHS England Director of Primary Care, also thanked GPs for their efforts during the pandemic and praised their “fantastic response” to the creation of vaccination sites.
