LONDON: People aged 40-49 will get priority next for the Covid-19 vaccine, with scientific advisers saying the move will provide “maximum benefit in the shortest time”.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) had considered whether groups such as teachers and police officers should be vaccinated next, but decided that the most effective way to prevent death and recurrence was. into the hospital by prioritizing people according to age.
They said that modeling studies for phase 2 of the vaccine program also show that the speed of vaccine use is the most important factor in helping to prevent serious illness and death.
This means that priority will be given to the order at level 2: All people aged 40-49; all ages 30-39; everyone ages 18-29. These groups will be vaccinated once everyone in stage 1 (people over 50 and most vulnerable) has been injected, with the Government getting a target set for them in the middle. April.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chairman of Covid-19 for the JCVI, told a briefing that age “remains a key factor – it remains one of the most important causes of serious disease, even in those aged 50 and under ”.
He said that even within different career groups, it is older people who are at greater risk than those who are younger. A UK government spokesman said JCVI’s advice showed that age was still “the strongest factor” linked to death and hospital admissions and that “speed of delivery (vaccines) is crucial. “She said:” The four parts of the UK will follow the proposed approach, subject to the final advice of the committee of independent experts. “The UK Government is still on track to meet its target of offering vaccination to everyone in level 1 priority groups by mid-April, and all adults by the end of July. ”
The JCVI said it would be more complicated to focus on delivering career groups (such as teachers) and could slow down the vaccination program, leaving some vulnerable people at higher risk for longer.
They also said that, operationally, simple and easy-to-deliver programs were “essential for rapid uptake and high uptake of vaccines”.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of vaccination at Public Health England (PHE), said: “Delivering a vaccination program on this scale is complex and JCVI’s advice will help us protect people from the risk of remote hospitalization. The age-based approach will ensure that more people are protected more quickly. ”
Meanwhile, Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that keeping windows open and improving ventilation in schools are much more effective at spreading coronavirus than asking young children to wear face masks.
Some schools, including Selsdon Primary School in Croydon, south London, have stated that pupils must wear face cover at all times, except in sports lessons or when eating or drinking. But the Department for Education has said primary school children should not be asked to wear masks.
