COVID-19: How are people chosen for vaccine and what is the process like?

Hundreds of people in the UK have become the first in the world to receive the approved Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine outside of a trial.

Sky News visited Croydon University Hospital (CUH) in south London, among the first to give patients the vaccine, to experience how the process works.

How are people chosen to receive the vaccine?

For now, those being given the jab are all 80 or over and were chosen by the hospital in various different ways in the two days ahead of the launch.

Some are hospital volunteers or regular patients at the hospital, a fair few signed up at their local church and some were outpatients at the hospital who were asked if they wanted to have it then and there.

Colin Campbell, 80, is a regular outpatient and was called up the day before to ask if he wanted the vaccine.

“I said yes straight away,” he told Sky News.

“It’s common sense, it’s been such a dreadful illness, a scourge and if they have found a cure for it, which we hope this is then I think it’s common sense to have it.”

June Tamberlin, 81, signed up at her church on Sunday and was surprised to get the call the following day.

“I feel very privileged to have been asked,” she said.

How is the vaccine prepared?

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has to be stored at -70C (-100F) and is then thawed overnight in a special vaccine fridge where it can survive for five days.

Each pack has 975 doses so 195 people have to be vaccinated on each of those five days.

At CUH there were different teams for each part of the process, with one getting the vials of vaccine from the fridge then mixing them in a separate room with a liquid to get them ready to administer.

What happens when a patient gets to the vaccine centre?

Each patient at CUH was given a form to fill in about their health and demographics and was taken through the risks by a nurse who made sure they understood everything.

They were then taken to one of eight booths, separated by screens, where they would sit down and a nurse would administer the injection.

After the jab, patients were told to sit for a couple of minutes, or 15 if they were driving, before they could leave.

Some patients said they did not even feel the needle going in and CUH reported no adverse effects in patients they saw on Tuesday morning.

They were given a sticker and a credit card-sized card which said they had had the vaccine and gave them the date for their second dose in three weeks time.

What were the patients’ experiences like?

All of the patients Sky News spoke to said they were impressed by the guidance and information they were given and were made to feel safe.

Mrs Tamberlin said she found the experience “absolutely fantastic”.

“Everybody’s been so positive and helped us to understand what’s happening,” she added.

Mr Campbell said: “It’s been incredibly efficient, people are very courteous, I think it’s indicative of everybody fighting this together.

“There seems to be a tremendous togetherness about the whole operation.”

Why did people want to get vaccinated on the first day?

All of the first recipients were 80 or over so are classed as vulnerable, with most having been shielding for months.

Maria York, 86, has been a volunteer with the hospital’s chaplaincy for more than 20 years but has not been able to visit the wards since March.

“I’m in the vulnerable group on many levels, my age, my ethnicity and I have asthma,” she said.

“I want to be able to see my grandchildren, I’ve seen some across the garden in the summer and on FaceTime but it’s not the same.

“I would like to be able to visit the wards again as well so I appreciate it, I feel humbled, I feel blessed to be one of the first to get the vaccine.”

Mrs Tamberlin lives on her own and said she has missed her friends and family.

“I’m very much looking forward to having a meal out with my family, it’s been so long,” she said.

Will people who have had the vaccine still have to be careful?

Yes. It is not yet known whether the vaccine will prevent transmission of the virus, and people also need to have two doses 21 days apart.

Those receiving the vaccine at CUH said they would all remain sensible.

“I won’t be going out partying,” Ms York said.

“We’ve been told to keep being sensible and careful and I will, especially as other people won’t have had the vaccine.”

What’s it been like for nurses?

The stars of the show on the first day of the vaccine roll-out have been the nurses.

Phinah Agbakoba is usually a nurse on the maternity ward and put her name forward straight away to administer the vaccine on its first day after giving the flu jab this year.

“We’ve been hoping a vaccine would come for so long,” she said.

“Obviously working in a hospital you see a lot of people that die so you just want something to help.

“Today, I think it’s such a memorable day, such an exciting day, so amazing to be part of.

“Getting to give it out and talk to the people getting it has been great.

“I didn’t think our hospital would be chosen as one of the first but with the demographics around here, the age groups, it makes sense.”

(c) Sky News 2020: COVID-19: How are people chosen for vaccine and what is the process like?