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COVID-19 Vaccinations in GP surgeries in England are about to start, while in Scotland residents of nursing homes are ready to receive the vaccine for the first time.
The largest deployment of the Pfizer / BioNTech Immunization It comes as people across the country were warned that an increase in cases after Christmas socializing could disrupt the unfolding of the blows.
Family doctor offices in more than 100 locations will receive the approved vaccine on Monday, with some offering vaccines within hours.
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One of the first residents of a nursing home in Scotland to be hit.
NHS England and NHS Improvement said most GPs will start providing vaccination services to their local communities from Tuesday, with older people being the first in line to take the hits.
NHS staff, including nurses and pharmacists, will work alongside GPs to vaccinate people 80 years of age and older, as well as nursing home residents and workers.
The vaccination centers will operate from medical clinics or community centers in villages, towns and cities.
Professor Martin Marshall, President of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs and our teams are about to embark on a huge challenge, delivering the Covid-19 vaccination program to the community while at the same time delivering the program. expanded flu vaccination and routine care and services that our patients trust us for. “
The Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is the only one currently approved for use in the UK, but the The chances that the University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine will also be released later this year are “pretty high”, according to lead researcher Sarah Gilbert, a vaccination professor at the university.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is still reviewing the trial data for the Oxford / AstraZeneca jab.
Professor Gilbert said life may return “more or less” to normal by next summer, but said it depends on transmission rates in January which she says could be affected by people traveling and traveling. they mingle with other people during Christmas.
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England’s GPs to Receive Pfizer Vaccine This Week
The restrictions will be relaxed across the UK between December 23 and 27 to allow families to spend time together in “Christmas bubbles”, but NHS chiefs have warned Boris Johnson that any relaxation of restrictions on the system of England’s levels could trigger a third wave of cases at the busiest time of year for hospitals.
Professor Gilbert said the United States has seen an increase in infections and deaths after people celebrated Thanksgiving, adding that a similar increase in the United Kingdom could also affect the rollout of vaccination.
“You can’t run vaccination clinics when staff are sick, and there is a very high transmission rate that affects people’s ability to come in for vaccination,” he said.
Professor Devi Sridhar, president of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, warned that the virus “spreads like cigarette smoke” indoors and that people could easily get sick.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “This is the concern around Christmas because once you enter someone’s house, you will probably catch the virus if someone else has it.”
Professor Sridhar added: “The three things I would tell people are, first, we have a vaccine around the corner: Pfizer is already rolling out, AstraZeneca is on the way.”
“So in a few weeks people will be vaccinated and safe, that they would otherwise be at risk.
“Secondly, the NHS staff are exhausted, they beg people to be cautious, not to get infected, because in the end they are the ones who have to report to the hospital on Christmas Day, Saint Stephen’s Day and New Year’s Eve and actually having to take care of everyone who passes by
“And third, look at what happened in the United States with the American Thanksgiving.
“You just have to read the stories, look at the numbers to see what happens if people are not cautious right now during the Christmas period.”
England’s first tiering review will take place on Wednesday and NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, have urged “extreme caution” when moving any area of the country to a lower tier, while areas should be moved to the highest level. of restrictions “as soon as necessary, without delay”.
London now has the highest coronavirus rates in England and it looks like it will move to level 3, potentially as early as Monday.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has demanded new government action to control the “deeply worrying” increase in cases in the capital, calls that include increased provision of tests and compensation plans for companies affected by any additional restrictions.
Khan said there had been “significant” coronavirus outbreaks among 10-19-year-olds in the capital, and that the government should consider asking schools and universities to close before Christmas and reopen later in January.
But Downing Street has said schools are expected to remain open until the end of the term.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “We have constantly said that not being in school has a detrimental impact on children’s learning, as well as on their own personal development and mental health.
“This is why we expect all schools and universities to remain open until the end of the period on Thursday, as schools have remained open during the pandemic.”
When asked if action will be taken against councils closing schools early, the spokesperson said: “Our regional teams of school commissioners are working closely with schools and local authorities across the country and will continue to work with and support them to to stay open. “
