[ad_1]
NHS staff will no longer receive the coronavirus vaccine first after a drastic rethink about who should be prioritized, emerged last night.
The new immunization strategy is likely to disappoint and worry thousands of front-line staff, coming amid urgent warnings from NHS chiefs that hospitals could be “overwhelmed” in January by a third wave of Covid- 19 caused by mixing during Christmas.
Chris Hopson, Executive Director of NHS Providers, said: “If we have a prolonged cold snap in January, the NHS is at risk of being overwhelmed. Covid-19 restrictions should remain appropriately strict.
“Fiduciary leaders are concerned about the impact of looser regulations around Christmas.”
Front-line personnel were due to receive the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine when the NHS begins its deployment, which is expected to be next Tuesday after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved it on Wednesday.
However, hospitals will begin by immunizing nursing home staff, and inpatients and outpatients over 80 years of age. The new UK-wide guidance on priority groups was issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) amid uncertainty over when the remainder of the initial batch of 5 million doses ministers ordered will arrive in the UK. United.
NHS staff will be able to bring the vaccine to nursing homes to immunize residents later this month if, as expected, the MHRA agrees that the 975-dose batches it comes into can be subdivided and stability is maintained. and drug safety.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, head of the British Medical Association, said he backed nursing home residents to take the hit first. However, that means NHS staff will be at higher risk of becoming infected and potentially dying, he added.
“Doctors and other health care personnel will recognize the need to vaccinate nursing home residents and elderly patients first, but will likely be frustrated by the inconsistent shift of government messages from yesterday to today.
“In the first wave, we saw too many health and social care workers get incredibly ill with Covid, and many tragically died, and therefore those working on the front lines should have the opportunity to protect themselves early,” he said.
Deaths in the UK from coronavirus
NHS bosses have warned that the 800,000 doses that make up the UK’s first shipment from Pfizer’s manufacturing plant in Belgium may be “the only batch we’ve received for some time,” raising questions about how soon more will arrive. supplies and how long it will take for front-line staff and vulnerable groups. they have to wait for their two blows.
The shift in priorities came as NHS Providers, which represents health services trusts in England, warned hospitals that they would have trouble maintaining normal care in January if a further spike in infections after Christmas leads to beds fill up again with Covid patients, just as they are trying to manage their winter crisis.
NHS providers and seasoned physicians made clear their concern that the government’s decision to allow up to three households to mix indoors in England between December 23 and 27 may prove ill-advised and counterproductive, because people will broadcast infection to vulnerable family members. They pleaded with the public to be careful about how they socialize.
Dr. Susan Crossland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, which represents doctors at the hospital, said they shared concerns “about the possibility of a Christmas wave of Covid in January, as well as the potent threat of this combined with the pressures. ‘normal’ winters “. aggravated by the cold ”.
“In my opinion, the relaxation of the rules at Christmas is extremely rude. Combined with the disputes between politicians that we have seen in recent days over the tiered system, it further weakens the importance of maintaining security measures, ”he said.
The NHS is already “on the razor’s edge” as intense demand and understaffing means that “it is everyone’s responsibility to limit contact and follow security measures for the next several weeks and months to avoid the massive stress that overwhelms to the NHS in the difficult winter months, ”Crossland added.
A hospital chief said: “Usually people give their elderly relatives colds and flu and respiratory illnesses during Christmas and end up in the hospital in January. This year that is more complicated. [There is a] Much needed relaxation around Christmas as people need a break, but recognize that there will potentially be an impact. “His confidence assumes that January will be” really tough, “despite the imminent launch of the vaccine, they added.
The World Health Organization also warned Thursday that the threat of a “holiday wave” emerging just after the new year should make people think twice about using the holiday break from restrictions to attend meetings with others.
“Many of us are looking towards the holiday season, towards Christmas, whether it is called the third wave or Christmas wave,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe. “The question we have to ask ourselves if we are going to join, or we are thinking about an activity during which transmission can occur, we have to ask ourselves the question, is it really necessary?
“Because if restrictive measures are relaxed and basic public health measures are not met, whatever the country in the region or the world, there will absolutely be an increase again because the vaccine will arrive too late for this winter.”
A government spokesman said: “This Christmas, families and friends can meet in a limited and cautious way thanks to a balanced and workable set of rules. We agreed to these measures across the UK based on scientific and clinical advice on how best to minimize risks, and on Sage’s advice we have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress made during national restrictions and to continue to suppress the virus “.
Meanwhile, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, has raised the possibility that people may need an annual coronavirus vaccine, the same way they get the winter flu shot. It is important to have more Covid vaccines available in case a revaccination is required, he told the BBC.
“It’s really unknowable right now. But it is largely something that I see now as one of the goals that are barely looming on the horizon to understand, what if, and if, at some point in the future we had to think about revaccination? “, Said.
