NHS staff have been denied the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, leaving doctors in awe and “scrabbling” to get the vaccine.
A new study reveals that nearly two-thirds of doctors who responded did not receive the vaccine, half believe it has been delivered to the NHS front line and it has been “ad hoc” and no opinion at one third when offered. They fear that the government’s decision to prioritize people over 80 and care home workers over health workers leaves them at risk of catching the disease, especially as the coronavirus strain is feature, which is 70% more portable.
The findings, from a study of 1,316 doctors by EveryDoctor, came as the UK medicines regulator prepared to approve the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, possibly as early as Monday. Leading doctors and NHS leaders believe that the availability of a second vaccine will lead to a significant increase in the number of people receiving the vaccine, including health professionals.
Because the Oxford vaccine can be stored and transported at normal temperatures, while the Pfizer injection needs to be frozen at -75C, it will be much easier to circulate, especially for people’s homes and care homes. The government has ordered 100m doses, 40m of which are expected by the end of March.
Ministers believe that inoculating 15 million Britons will help restore a normal level of regularity, as many of Covid ‘s most at risk will have been vaccinated.
However, the Guardian has sent messages sent by NHS leaders to staff admitting they are deeply concerned, with many staff feeling left unprotected.
In an email sent to colleagues on Boxing Day, Len Richards, chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University health board in Wales, said: “I understand that there is a great deal of fear among colleagues about access to the Coronavirus vaccine. I understand and appreciate those frustrations. ”
Richards said the number of staff requesting the vaccine was “significantly higher than the level of vaccine available to us”. The problem was caused by “unbelievable supply and demand constraints”, and the organization had to rationalize jobs because “supply is so low,” he said.
Similarly, in a letter to staff on 18 December, the departmental directors for treatment, surgery and nursing at Derby and Burton NHS Hospitals NHS NHS acknowledged that there is a “lack of clarity” about when work to receive the injection “causing a high level of anxiety and stress among some organizations in our workforce. “
All three explained that the “limited capacity of the trust for staff vaccination slots” was due to ministers saying that 75% of the supplies of the Pfizer injection should be given to people over 80 and 20% for care home workers , leaving just 5% – or 48 doses from a batch of 975 – for NHS staff.
Dr Julia Patterson, director for EveryDoctor, a network of central doctors in the NHS, said: “The government urgently needs to rethink its strategy in relation to Covid-19 vaccination priorities.
“Vaccines stop people spreading viruses. We have limited vaccines. Who needs vaccinations the most? The people who make them mix with others. And these people are the front-line health care workers who look after Covid-19 patients, who come across Covid-19 on an ongoing basis. ”
In the self-selected EveryDoctor survey 831 (63%) of the 1,316 doctors had not yet received the first dose of the vaccine and 451 (34%) said they did not know what the plan was for staff vaccine.
One consultant at the Imperial College Healthcare trust in London said: “Some of us have been vaccinated from overflow at GP surgeries, which involved last-minute oral and scraping.”
A Warwickshire GP said: “It is foolish not to prioritize healthcare professionals”, as there is a risk that they can pass the virus on to patients.
Although the Pfizer vaccine was tested for 95% efficacy in trials, the Oxford vaccine gave 62% of those who took two full doses four weeks apart but 90% of those who took half a dose and then total dose thereafter. However, this latter system has only been tested in children under 55 years of age.
But Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, tried on Sunday to boost confidence in the injection by wanting it to be as effective as the Pfizer one
“We think we’ve figured out the winning formula and how to get an effect that’s, after two doses, up there with everyone else,” Soriot told the Sunday Times.
The Department of Health and Social Care wanted NHS staff to be able to be vaccinated since the start of the outbreak on 8 December, even though only those with basic health conditions were eligible.
“Health and social care workers have always been a priority for the Covid-19 vaccine since the program began, along with those of older age,” a spokesperson said.