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Batches of the Oxford / AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine have started arriving in UK hospitals ahead of the national launch of the vaccine.
Some 530,000 doses of the treatment will be available for rollout across the UK from Monday, and vulnerable groups have already been identified as the priority for immunization.
The vaccine has been developed in the UK by the University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.
The rollout will begin after England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned that a vaccine shortage is likely to cause problems. for several months”.
He added that the UK urgently needs to maximize the number of people vaccinated, but added that a lack of global supplies will likely hamper efforts to protect the nation in the early part of 2021.
Public Health England (PHE) has said that it does not recommend mixing coronavirus vaccines from different suppliers amid fears of possible shortages.
Both the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, which launched in December, require two doses.
The vaccine has been delivered to hospitals across the UK.
The UK government had issued guidance telling NHS doctors that if a person who received their first coronavirus puncture returns for their second but the same type is not available, or if the first type of vaccine is unknown, then it is “reasonable” to offer a dose of another vaccine.
Dr Mary Ramsay, chief of immunizations at PHE, has told Sky News that mixing is not recommended and should only occur “on rare occasions.”
The Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath, part of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, was one of the first hospitals to receive a batch of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine on Saturday morning.
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The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines arrived at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath on Saturday
The first doses of the vaccine will be given after the UK registered another 57,725 coronavirus cases Saturday: your highest daily total.
Another 445 deaths were also reported.
The total number of people who have now died of COVID-19 in the UK it now stands at 74,570.
Dr. George Findlay, the trust’s chief medical officer and deputy chief executive, said the vaccination program gives NHS staff “more confidence” to start working.
He added that the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which can be kept at normal refrigerator temperature, is “much easier” to administer compared to the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, which needs cold storage around -70ºC.
More than a million people have already received the first of two blows from the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
Second doses of either vaccine will now take place within 12 weeks instead of the 21 days initially planned with the Pfizer / BioNTech jab, following a guideline change that aims to speed up immunization .
Dr. Findlay has said that hundreds of people are expected to be vaccinated per day at the Princess Royal Hospital site, and efficiency is expected to increase after the first days of the program.
He added: “We have a delivery center installed on the grounds of this hospital, so we have the infrastructure there to invite people to booked appointments.
“And we will make sure that the booked appointments are full every day starting Monday.”
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‘Most vulnerable’ to be vaccinated first
NHS staff and social care workers who are at risk are among those who will be vaccinated with the Oxford / AstraZeneca puncture starting next week.
Dr Findlay said: “We started vaccinating at our other hospital a few weeks ago, it has been seen as a really positive step, something that gives the staff more confidence to come 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.”
Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperature.
Dr. Findlay said the hospital has been under “a lot of pressure” since early December due to an increase in cases amid a new variant of the virus.
He added: “And that has increased in recent weeks as cases in the community increase, and then hospitalizations increase and critical care requirements increase.”
“The staff are doing incredibly well, they are working incredibly hard and we are increasing our capacity to deal with the sickest patients.
“So while it is really difficult and staff are under pressure, hospitals are coping with it and we continue to provide care to all who need it.”
Dr. Findlay said the hospital had cut back on planned care, with some routine operations postponed to allow staff to focus on the COVID-19 response.
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NHS staff ‘strained to the point of exhaustion’
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He added that he is concerned about the physical and mental well-being of the workers and called it an “incredibly difficult year” as fears persist about possible staff burnout.
He added: “We have been through the first wave, which was unknown and very pressured.
“Then we try to focus on recovery, so we provide care for patients who have been postponed, and people worked really hard on that.
“And then we go straight to the next wave, so no one has had a break for most of the year, so we are really worried about fatigue, stress, tension, and we are doing our best to try to support But it’s always a concern. “
