COVID-19: V-Day is a ‘key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease’ says health secretary
Written by News on 08/12/2020
People in the UK will start being vaccinated today against COVID-19, on what’s being dubbed V-Day.
Fifty hospitals will administer the jab from early this morning.
The vaccine, developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, has been distributed across the whole of the UK.
Among the first to receive the vaccine are Hari and Ranjan Shukla from Newcastle.
They’re both in their 80s and have barely left home since March.
Hari said he was “excited” to get the jab. He explained: “I feel it’s good I’ve got the opportunity of doing that. I’m not nervous, I’m looking forward to it.”
Medicine regulators in the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine last week, making Britain the first country in the world to do so.
The first batch of 800,000 doses from the Belgium manufacturing plant have already been delivered.
Those over 80, care home staff, and some frontline NHS workers will be prioritised.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We will look back on today, V-Day, as a key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease, and I am proud our health services across the United Kingdom are about to embark on our largest ever vaccination programme.”
It’s hoped up to four million doses will arrive by the end of the year.
In total, the Government has bought 40 million doses, enough to vaccinate 20 million people.
The vaccine requires two doses, given 21 days apart.
The head of the NHS, Sir Simon Stevens, said: “The deployment of this vaccine marks a decisive turning point in the battle with the pandemic.”
This week people will have to travel to hospitals to be vaccinated.
From 14 December, the programme will be rolled out to local communities, where GP surgeries are setting up special clinics.
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North west London GP, Dr David Lloyd said they use the “green book” to advise which patients should receive the jab first.
He said: “It’s our bible for vaccinations. It gives us the people we should be looking at first of all. We’re going to find those over 80s and find the ones most needy for the vaccination.”
Rolling it out will be a huge challenge. The vaccine has to be stored in special freezers and kept at minus 70C.
Although care home residents were at the top of the priority list, they will not be among the first to be vaccinated.
So far, this is the only vaccine to be approved in the UK, but it is hoped other drugs will come on stream soon, including the Oxford University/AstraZeneca jab.
(c) Sky News 2020: COVID-19: V-Day is a ‘key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease’ says health secretary
