The NHS is getting ready to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine starting from next month, with five mass vaccination centers ready before Christmas. These centers will be able to treat tens of thousands of people every day.
The first mass vaccination centers will be built in major cities including Leeds, Hull and London and will be supported by hundreds of mobile vaccination units operating throughout the Nation.
One of the leading vaccines includes the treatment developed by Oxford University, with millions of doses already stockpiled. However, patients will need two shots, 28 days apart; thus, inoculating vast numbers of Brits will be logistically difficult.
A health source said: “The earliest we are likely to get the first trial results is in a month’s time – which means the best-case scenario for a potential roll out is just before Christmas. But planning is well under way, so there will be no delay in vaccination once we have a working jab.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization Director-General, confirmed a Covid-19 vaccine is on the horizon. He declared: “There is hope that by the end of this year we may have a vaccine. There is hope.”
Officials are also planning to change the rules to allow a wider group of health workers to give Covid-19 shots, including dietitians, chiropodists and vets.
According to Kate Bingham, Chair of UK vaccine taskforce, only half of the UK population would get any successful shot. But many ministers have distanced themselves from Bingham’s comments. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said any decision on how many Brits were vaccinated would only be made once a working vaccine is found.
According to the Health Secretary, the UK Government plans to follow the advice of the joint committee on vaccination and immunization (JCVI). Care home residents and those working in the sector would be among the first to be vaccinated. Then, over 80s and NHS staff will be next, followed by younger OAPs and high-risk people.
The JCVI declared that the prioritization may be subject to substantial changes if the first available vaccines were not considered suitable for older adults. According to former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, it is probable that the country will find a vaccine before Christmas and will inoculate most of the UK population by Easter.
