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Hospitals are preparing to start the first phase of the “largest-scale vaccination campaign” in UK history.
First COVID-19 vaccines will arrive in hospitals on Monday before the first injections on Tuesday.
It has been said that GP surgeries in England begin staffing COVID-19 vaccination centers before December 14.
Specialized freezers will house doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said: “Despite the enormous complexities, hospitals will begin the first phase of the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history starting Tuesday.
“The NHS has a strong track record of implementing large-scale vaccination programs, from the flu shot, HPV vaccine, and life-saving MMR injections, hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge of protecting people most vulnerable to this terrible disease. “
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Health Secretary Matt hancock He is reported to have referred to Tuesday as “V-Day” and told The Sunday Telegraph that he “can’t wait” to remove the three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions and “get back to living with mutual respect and personal responsibility. , not with laws. ” set in parliament “.
When asked if the distribution of the vaccine starting this week could mean that the restrictions would end sooner, he said: “Yes, it will.”
He added: “There is no question that getting the vaccine early … will speed up the time when we can get rid of these damn restrictions, but until then we have to follow them.”
The vaccine should be stored at temperatures from -70C to -80C
Meanwhile, images have been released of the freezers that will house the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccines in the UK.
The Public Health England (PHE) images were taken in a safe location in England, and the vaccine needs storage temperatures of -70C to -80C.
So far, Pfizer has shipped initial volumes of vaccines from Belgium, which will be followed by distribution in the UK by PHE and the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said this will begin with a “post-delivery quality assurance process” to ensure that the quality and integrity of the vaccine has been maintained during transit.
This process, which can take 12 to 24 hours, is carried out by a company specializing in medical logistics and is based on information from the shipment temperature data provided by Pfizer.
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How the vaccine launch will work
Over the next several days, each box must be opened and unpacked manually, and temperature data must be downloaded from each box, the DHSC said.
There are five 975-dose packs per box, and only sites with the necessary license from the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency can divide the vaccine packs.
Once all the verifications are completed, the vaccine will be available for order at licensed sites on the NHS, with around 50 sites in England so far.
DHSC noted that the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is complex because it must be stored in very cold temperatures and moved with care, so it will initially be administered from hospital facilities.
Thawing the vaccine takes a few hours and then additional time is required to prepare the vaccine for administration.
These steps mean that it will be difficult to reach people in nursing homes, who must be among the first to take the hit.
Hancock said that work is being done to ensure that these people receive the vaccine “as soon as possible,” despite these “significant challenges.”
“We prioritize the most vulnerable first, and those over 80, nursing home staff and NHS colleagues will be among the first to get vaccinated.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we can overcome significant challenges in vaccinating nursing home residents as soon as possible.”
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DHSC said that more than 1,000 local vaccination centers, operated by groups of GPs, will be online shortly and will increase as more vaccines enter the country.
Larger vaccination centers and arrangements through local pharmacies will be confirmed once more doses of the vaccine are available, he added.
