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The first of 530,000 Oxford / AstraZeneca punches being dealt today, a vital shot to the arm in the British Covid fight.
Boris Johnson pledged to vaccinate tens of millions in three months and said: “Now we can see how we are going to get out of this with great clarity.”
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Many elementary schools start today after the holidays, but the restrictions allowed by the PM are “about to get tighter,” and Level 5 is likely on the way.
Five thousand soldiers will begin “Operation Freedom”, with 530,000 Oxford / AstraZeneca hits ready to launch into the war against the coronavirus.
The six NHS trust hospitals in London, Brighton, Oxford, Morecambe and Nuneaton will be the first to administer the vaccine.
It will hit more than 500 GP and community center surgeries by the end of the week, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying “we’re going as fast as we can.”
‘100 MILLION DOSES’
Britain has ordered 100 million doses of the new vaccine, enough for 50 million people.
It can be stored in a refrigerator, which facilitates access to residences and GP’s offices.
Together with the 40 million doses of Pfizer’s treatment, we will have enough to protect the entire population.
The Army will play a key role in today’s deployment with Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace saluting its impact.
A total of 21 teams will support seven NHS regions of England in the administration of the new vaccine. And 800 Army personnel will drive the massive tests in Manchester.
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The 5,000 total, including 2,000 recently deployed this week, will work in Kent, Kirklees in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Swadlincote, Derbyshire.
The prime minister again endorsed The Sun’s Jabs Army’s request for volunteers to assist in the operation. And he revealed that he and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are working to cut red tape so retired doctors can inject the British.
Mr Hancock said: “I am delighted that today we are launching the Oxford vaccine, a testament to British science.
“This is a crucial moment in our fight against this terrible virus and I hope it gives everyone renewed hope that the end of this pandemic is in sight.”
‘CRUCIAL MOMENT’
His comments came as an alarming analysis showed that 13 million, a quarter of England’s population, live in areas without prepared jab centers. And up to eight million face a ten-mile round trip to get to a site.
Bedford, Newark and Braintree, with a combined population of 330,000, have no sites.
Nottingham, with 335,000 inhabitants, only has its main hospital, according to the analysis of 697 centers in England.
London, where cases are through the roof, has an average of eight sites for every million people.
Yesterday 454 people died from Covid, bringing the total deaths to 75,024.
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Another 54,990 tested positive for the virus; On the sixth day in a row, the numbers have surpassed 50,000.
Many schools resume their studies today, but when asked if there was a level 5 on the cards, the prime minister said that the system “probably, sadly, is about to get more difficult.”
He added: “Until the vaccine really goes live on a massive scale, we will fight this virus with the same set of tools.”
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said Boris needed a plan to vaccinate people as quickly as possible.
He told Times Radio: “We should aim for up to three, four, five million a week.”
The virus is clearly out of control
Sir Keir Starmer
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the nation should plunge into a total national lockdown within 24 hours to help stem the tide.
He added: “The virus is clearly out of control and it doesn’t make sense for the prime minister to hint that further restrictions will be imposed in a week or two or three.
“That delay has been the source of so much trouble, so I say bring in those restrictions now, within the next 24 hours.”
Professor Sir Mark Walport of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said: “It is clear that we are going to need more.”
And Chris Hopson of NHS Providers demanded “appropriate restrictions” after hospital admissions soared since Christmas.
THE SUN SAYS
There has been very little cause for celebration during the long Covid-19 fight, but the launch, as of today, of the first half a million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is certainly one of them.
The vaccine is a shining example of British scientific prowess, determination and ingenuity in the face of adversity.
Give hope not only to the people of this nation but to the world.
We should be very proud of Professor Sarah Gilbert and her team of vaccinologists, as we are proud of the thousands of Sun readers who have already stepped forward to join our Army of Jabs.
It is vital that we get life-saving vaccines to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, and those selfless volunteers are ready to help with this enormous logistical task.
Vaccines are our way to freedom; our means of escape from the tyranny of this terrible disease.
Meanwhile, cases are increasing alarmingly and our heroic healthcare workers are under enormous pressure.
Therefore, more and more restrictions may still be needed before returning to the normalcy that we crave.
But rest assured, we will get there.
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The expert at Imperial College London, Professor Robin Shattock, said it was “quite likely” that the holiday period and positive news about vaccines have caused people to relax.
He added: “You have to make sure you adhere to these precautions because this virus is very transmittable.
“And although the NHS will move as quickly as possible, two million vaccines a week, if we can get to that level, they will be slow to provide the level of immunity that will start to affect hospital admissions.”
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