[ad_1]
Boris Johnson says he expects “tens of millions” of coronavirus vaccine injections to be given in the UK over the next three months.
The prime minister said the government hoped to administer up to two million doses a week while trying to get the dose out of the country. COVID-19 epidemic under control.
Monday, there will be 530,000 doses of Oxford University Vaccine / AstraZeneca at about 540 GP vaccination sites and 101 hospital sites, he said. The UK has a total of 100 million doses on request.
It can be stored at normal refrigerator temperature and experts say it is “much easier” to administer compared to the Pfizer / BioNTech jab, which needs cold storage of around -70 ° C.
More than a million people have already received a first dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine since it was approved in early December.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine at the Princess Royal Hospital on Haywards Heath
“There are still a few million Pfizer (vaccines) to use,” Johnson added, saying both vaccines are being rolled out “as quickly as we can.”
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr program: “We have the prospect of vaccines coming down the road by the tens of millions.” But he warned that it is a “very bumpy period at the moment” due to the increase in coronavirus infections.
Johnson said a massive vaccination program was a departure from the tiered system.
He said, “What we’re doing now is using the tiering system, which is a very difficult system … and unfortunately it’s probably about to get harder to keep things under control. But we will review.”
And he said it was “absurd” for retired doctors to be asked to go through a “useless bureaucracy” to sign up as vaccine volunteers.
There have been reports of potential volunteers being deterred by additional training and forms on “de-radicalization measures” and “fire drills”.
The second doses will be given within 12 weeks of the first, rather than the initially planned 21 days, in an effort to maximize coverage and expand the number of people receiving the first vaccine.
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, defended the government’s change of direction.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Oxford vaccine ready for deployment
He told the Mail on Sunday: “The evidence clearly shows that vaccinated people get almost complete protection after the first dose. Simply put, every time we vaccinate someone for the second time, we are not vaccinating someone else for the first time. “.
“It means that we are missing an opportunity to greatly reduce the chances of the most vulnerable people becoming seriously ill from COVID-19.”
UK medical directors, including England’s Professor Chris Whitty, have warned vaccine supply shortage could last “several months” and they have backed the initiative to delay second doses.
They said: “Currently, the main barrier to this is the availability of vaccines, a global problem, and this will continue to be the case for several months and, more importantly, during the critical winter period. The vaccine shortage is a reality that cannot be ruled out. “
And last month, Professor Van-Tam said a shortage of “fill and finish” materials needed to produce and package vaccines could slow down the national rollout.
At a press conference in Downing Street, he said: “Many of you already know that it is not just about vaccine manufacturing. It is about filling and finishing, which is a critically scarce resource around the world.”
One of the first hospitals to receive the Oxford vaccine on Saturday morning was the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, part of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Dr. George Findlay, medical director and deputy executive director of the trust, said: “We started vaccinating at our other hospital a few weeks ago. It has been seen as a really positive step, something that gives staff more confidence to go to work.
“You just have to look at the statistics from the last 10 months on how many staff members have suffered illness or sadly lost their lives.
“This gives staff the confidence to come to work and be able to see patients.”
