The UK vaccination program will officially expand further from Monday as the National Health Service (NHS) invites over-65s and clinically vulnerable groups to get their jobs protected against Covid -19.
To date, more than 14.5 million people in the four main named groups of people over 70 and health and facial care workers are protected by at least one of the two-dose Pfizer / BioNTech and Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines .
NHS England said on Sunday that millions of letters are already asking people from the next set of priority groups to reserve their syringes at any of more than 100 major vaccine centers or nearly 200 pharmacy services.
“The vaccination program is continuing at an unprecedented pace and, with the target of offering vaccines to everyone in the first four priority groups by Monday, we want to keep up the pace. by extending it even further, ”said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“The NHS is doing all it can to offer vaccines to the most vulnerable as soon as possible, and today’s news means that millions more people at risk will be able to have an injection from next week. We will continue to accelerate the vaccination program even further, ”he said.
In the next phase starting Monday, GP-led vaccination sites will initially target people who are clinically vulnerable with long-term illnesses and in need of ongoing care.
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Official advice for anyone aged 65 to 69 who wants to wait to be called by their local GP vaccination service, or who has already had the injection, does not have to respond. to NHS letters to visit vaccine site.
Other High Street pharmacists are also being invited to take part as the program accelerates.
“After a strong start the NHS vaccination program, the largest and fastest in Europe, is entering a new phase tomorrow,” said Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS.
“This is an exciting time as we are now moving on to people aged 65 and over and clinically vulnerable people as part of our plan to vaccinate as many people as possible. get out. However, if you have already been offered an injection but have not picked it up it is not too late. Please come forward and help us to help you, ”he said.
The UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which has created the key areas for vaccination, defines clinically vulnerable people as those with conditions including chronic respiratory disease. such as obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and asthma.
To date, the vaccination program has targeted key NHS frontline staff, care home residents and staff, as well as people over 70 and those who are considered vulnerable. clinically.
At the same time, the devolved regions of the United Kingdom are also largely in line with the English NHS initiative.
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In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said his area has begun to engage with those over the age of 50, and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she expects many in the 65-69 age group had their first injection before the middle of this month after most older people received the vaccine.
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health is offering vaccines to everyone over 65 by the end of February.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has acknowledged the “significant progress” being made with vaccines and has been optimistic about putting down a plan to further reduce England’s lock-in. months.
He is coming under growing pressure from backbenchers within his own party, with Conservative MP Covid’s Anti-Lockdown (CRG) Group of MPs calling for a lock-in discount. complete by the end of April and a plan to “return to normal life”.
Johnson has identified March 8 as the deadline for school reopening as the first step toward reducing lockout but stressed the approach is “cautious” and based on the rate of coronavirus disease.
The UK has recorded a fall in disease rates over the past few days but the numbers remain high, with 13,308 new infections and 621 deaths recorded over the weekend, bringing the death toll from the deadly virus to nearly 117,000.