When and how do I get the Covid vaccine?
The government’s Joint Committee on Immunization and Vaccination (JCVI) says its priority is to prevent Covid-related deaths and to protect workers and health and social care systems.
Elderly care home residents and their caregivers are first on the JCVI list because the risk of exposure to the virus is higher and because the risk of death is closely related to older age. Priority is followed by anyone else over 80 and health and social care staff. Next comes those 75 or older, followed by people age 70 and older – and clinically vulnerable individuals. The aim is for everyone in these groups to be offered the first dose of vaccine by 15 February, with a second dose to be given up to 12 weeks later.
However, the head of the Public Health England vaccine has said that if infection data showed that vulnerable groups, such as people over 80, were well protected at first glance, the delay could be delayed. second dose to get the first injection for younger people as well.
The next line for getting the vaccine is everyone over the age of 65, followed by those aged 16-64 who are at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19 due to ill health. After this, vaccines gradually work down the age groups so that everyone over 50 gets kicked.
The second group includes 17 million people across the UK, which would take an extra seven weeks to Easter on April 4 if the target of 2m jobs a week is met.
Taken together, the above groups are estimated to represent 99% of preventive deaths from Covid-19.
The second phase of the vaccine is likely to be aimed at those at higher risk of working and / or delivering key public services, including teachers and transport staff – although the JCVI has not yet decided which of these groups should be prioritized. The rest of the adults are expected to have been offered a shot before harvest.
Will there be enough doses?
The UK has prescribed 100m doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, which is enough to take 50 million people. Coupled with the 40m doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, this should be enough to cover the entire UK population – although the government has also ordered 17 million doses of the recently approved Moderna vaccine.
Who gets the Covid injection first?
Who decided that the vaccine is safe to use, and what studies have been done?
Testing of the vaccine has taken place at a rapid pace, but this does not mean that any of the usual control measures have been missed. Companies would typically wait for all data from safety and efficacy tests to be collected, before submitting it to regulators in one go. However, the situation is so critical that a dedicated team at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has been conducting a “continuous review” of the data when it becomes available from ongoing inspections.
In order for its vaccine to be approved, Pfizer is required to submit data from preclinical studies and ongoing clinical trials of the vaccine, which to date has included 43,000 individuals; manufacturing and quality control evaluations; and plans for the safe administration and distribution of the vaccine. Scientists from the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control will also have independently tested groups of the vaccine to make sure it meets the expected safety and quality standards.
It will not stop there. Once the vaccine is introduced health workers must report any side effects they or a patient are concerned about. These incidents will be carefully investigated by the MHRA to see if they are likely to be caused by the vaccine, or if it is a coincidence.
If there is any doubt about the safety of the vaccine, the MHRA may issue a warning not to give it to certain groups, or even withdraw it if necessary.
Should I contact my GP / pharmacist?
No. Especially while Covid’s cases remain high, it is important that people do not make unnecessary trips to their GP surgery or make additional requests for telephone services such as NHS 111. The NHS will contact people on its own. once they have the opportunity to get the vaccine. and give full details of where they should go and what they need to do to get vaccinated.
Where do I go for the vaccine?
Covid-19 vaccines are delivered in three types of places: NHS trusted “vaccination centers” at hospital sites; large vaccine centers in places like football pitches, conference premises and racecourses – these are expected to reach up to 2 million people a week; and at GP surgeries and pharmacies. Doctors can also visit care home residents and inpatients who live at home without the need to travel.
Vaccination center map
With the requirements of the Pfizer / BioNTech injection freezer, it is very likely that this will be used at the major vaccine establishments or surgeries / pharmacies, at least initially. The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is easier to deliver at these sites, as it can be stored and transported at a typical cooling temperature of 2C to 8C.
Who administers it?
The NHS is overseeing the major vaccination program, with GPs and others being trained to handle and administer the new injection, including retired doctors , pharmacists, district nurses, health visitors and physiotherapists.
Those outside the NHS aiming to recruit as vaccines include airline cabinet team, firefighters and the unemployed. They will be paid £ 11.20 per hour, according to an internal NHS briefing paper.
How far apart will the two doses be given, and will I be protected after the first?
While there is little evidence to show high levels of short-term protection from a single dose of the vaccine, it is a two-dose schedule agreed with the MHRA.
The first plan was to offer priority groups with the first impression of the vaccine, followed by another dose three weeks later. But a rapid rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, coupled with the emergence of more volatile variability and uncertainty about vaccine stock supply, prompted the JCVI to consider alternatives.
He estimated that if he pushed back the administration of the second dose to 12 weeks later – and by then it would be hoped that there would be far more doses. of the available vaccines.
For the Pfizer vaccine, the stretching effect of both doses has not been tested in clinical trials. Pfizer warned that its test only took two doses 21 days apart – far less than 12 weeks. However, growing evidence suggests that circulating doses of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine may be more effective in protecting people.
The main risk is that people’s immune levels will drop before they get their second dose, putting them at risk from Covid-19 – although this risk would still be lower than if they had not been vaccinated, and there was an increase when they finally got their second sight.
However, a consensus statement with the British Association of Immunologists said that a delay in dose increase of eight or nine weeks was unlikely to make much of a difference in the long run.
Who will receive the vaccine in order
Can I pay to get the vaccine privately?
Unlikely. England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, has said he believes Covid-19 vaccines should be delivered according to clinical priority rather than allowing people to jump the queue if they can.
While manufacturers may choose to sell their vaccines to private suppliers, Pfizer has said the focus is on delivering the vaccine to the NHS, according to the agreement with the government.
Can I choose which vaccine I have?
Also unlikely, at least in the short to medium term. It will be a priority to distribute any available doses to those who need them as soon as possible. Other vaccines may be available at different times, but may not be delivered at the same locations, due to the different storage requirements and shelf life of the different vaccines. So even if you were allowed to pick and choose, other options might not be available.
-
Due to the unique and ongoing nature of the coronavirus revolution, this article is regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation as well as possible. Any major corrections made to this or a previous version of the article will continue in accordance with the Guardian ‘s editorial policy.