Covid-19 vaccine: 'Patience required' over Pfizer rollout to care homes

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The priority list for a Covid vaccine was always designed to be flexible, the committee which drew it up has said.

Care homes are at the top of the JCVI's priority list but logistical issues mean there could be a delay in getting it to residents.

Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the JCVI, said patience was required over the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine.

On Wednesday the UK

became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use.

Elderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.

But because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at -70C, as required, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - so none of the vaccine risks being wasted.

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The order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations) and decided by the government.

Prof Harnden said the JCVI's "clear remit was to decide on prioritisation groups" but it always understood "there were going to be vaccine product storage, transport and administration constraints".

"We have advised in our statement that there is flexibility at an approach to this list according to what was actually feasible and logistical on the ground, so this is not wholly unexpected - but the clear list that we have drawn out is a list of priority in terms of vulnerability," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Care homes 'utmost priority'

Prof Harnden said he understood delays in delivering the vaccine to care homes would be disappointing for residents and their families.

But he added: "I think just a very small degree of patience is required because I think we are at the forefront here in the UK.

"I think the very short-term practical difficulties of getting this out from a storage point of view should not let us all lose sight of the fact that these care home residents and their staff are our utmost priority - and it may well be possible to get the care home staff to be immunised within a local hospital setting," he said.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.

The UK has already ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.

These will be rolled out as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, with the first load next week and then "several millions" throughout December, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

But the bulk of the roll-out across the UK will be next year.

And it could take until April for all those most at-risk to receive the new vaccine, according to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.

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December 03, 2020 at 09:47PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55169799