Kate Garraway says coronavirus vaccine is 'extraordinary'
Covid vaccination started with the Pfizer jab last week when ministers commenced a programme using emergency legislation from the EU. Healthcare workers have since inoculated hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom fall in highly vulnerable categories. Eventually, though, everyone should have their shot at immunisation, but it could take some time for the programme to make its way through the population.
When will under 50s get the Covid vaccine?
The Government’s vaccination programme runs on a targeted approach which inoculates the most vulnerable people first.
At present, this includes over 80s and health workers providing some form of care.
Anyone who falls outside of the vulnerable or key worker groups will have to wait a little longer.
We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
Ministers have disclosed nine priority groups, and people aged 50-54 reside at the back of the line so far.
The priority groups exist as follows:
- Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
- Everyone aged 80 and over, frontline health and social care workers
- People aged 75 and over
- Those aged 70 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable
- People aged 65 and over
- People aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions
- People aged 60 and over
- People aged 55 and over
- People aged 50 and over
This means the under 50s without underlying health conditions have a little while to wait.
However, they will be vaccinated once the priority list has been completed.
The Government has not confirmed when everyone can expect to receive a vaccine, but Scottish authorities said everyone else would likely have to wait until mid-2021.
Speaking before Scotland initiated its vaccine programme, Professor Jason Leitch, the country’s national clinical director, said vaccinations for younger people wouldn’t start until summer.
But the process would depend on how many doses of the vaccine the Government has.
So far, the Government has ordered four million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, 800,000 of which is immediately available for administration.
DON’T MISS
Has the Moderna vaccine been approved in the UK? – EXPLAINER
Coronavirus latest: COVID-19 vaccine rollout will cost Britain £12bn – ANALYSIS
Coronavirus vaccine suffer tech mishap as GPs record jabs manually – INSIGHT
In total, this covers 20 million people, given the requirement for two doses to acquire full immunity.
Professor Leitch said immunising younger people would also depend on the incoming Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine receiving approval.
He said: “Once we get to the under-50s, we are going to need big numbers of the vaccine, and that is why you can’t get us to say a month or a date. That group will have to be more patient.
“I would hope that would begin in the first half of next year, but it will depend entirely on AstraZeneca particularly getting us the vaccine.”
Government data shows just over 100,000 people have received their first dose since efforts started last week.
Nadhim Zawahi, the newly minted vaccines minister, posted the first vaccination totals earlier this week.
He said more than 130,000 people have so far received the jab, spread across the four nations.
Of this total, healthcare workers delivered 108,000 doses in England, 7,897 in Wales, 4,000 in Northern Ireland, and 18,000 in Scotland.
Source: Read Full Article