Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told the NHS to be ready to deploy a COVID-19 vaccine from the start of December.
Following the announcement yesterday that Pfizer and BioNTech had developed a vaccine that was 90% effective, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News:
“Promising news, but only one step of many we need to get out of this and to tackle this pandemic once and for all”.
“The critical thing is that we all keep our resolve on the measures that are in place now,” he added.
He said: “Of course there are many hurdles that still need to be gone over and we haven’t seen the full safety data and obviously that is critical and we won’t deploy a vaccine unless we can be confident in its clinical safety.
“But we also do need to be ready should a vaccine be licensed and get through all those hurdles and ready to roll it out.”
Mr Hancock said care home residents and staff, NHS and social care staff, and then elderly people would be first in line for vaccination.
The BMA said in its statement: “Vaccine availability will be limited to begin with, meaning only small numbers of vaccines may be given in December with most vaccinations taking place in early 2021.
“Working together, practices will need to be prepared to offer vaccinations seven days a week so that the vaccine is delivered within its short shelf-life and so patients receive it as soon as possible.
“Practices will need to work together to decide which one practice (or another appropriate site) is used for the vaccination site, remembering the need for provision to be potentially available 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.”
