Tag: Covid-19

Armed Forces personnel deployed to support UK’s Covid response

Over 5,000 Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed to support the response to the Coronavirus across the UK, working on 70 different tasks ranging from schools testing to the rollout of vaccines.


This is more than at any previous point in the pandemic and the biggest homeland operation the UK has ever seen in peacetime. Thousands more are supporting efforts through their day jobs in military planning, Defence Medical Services, Defence Science and Technology Laboratories and elsewhere.

More military personnel are being deployed to support community testing in:

  • Manchester – 800 personnel providing community testing support to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority
    • Kent – 390 personnel will support community testing
    • Swadlincote, Derbyshire – 130 personnel to establish and operate four lateral flow testing sites
    • Kirklees, Yorkshire – 75 personnel to establish and operate four lateral flow testing sites
    • Lancashire – 420 personnel to support asymptomatic testing

Another large scale task starts in Manchester today, with 800 personnel deploying from nine regiments across the British Army at the request of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

These personnel will prepare to work across all ten local authority areas of Greater Manchester to carry out targeted asymptomatic testing of specific populations that may be at a higher risk of infection including social care staff, key workers, public facing occupations such as bus drivers, and those in high risk environments such care homes and shared accommodation for the homeless.

The task builds on lessons from previous asymptomatic community testing in Liverpool, Lancashire, Merthyr Tydfil, Medway, and Kirklees.

In addition to community testing, military personnel remain on-task testing hauliers in Dover and helping to establish ten new testing sites to improve the flow of traffic across the Channel. As of today, 515 personnel are on task in Kent and elsewhere providing testing to hauliers.

1,500 Armed Forces personnel have also been provided to support schools testing, with local response teams providing virtual support and phone advice to institutions. Personnel also on standby to deploy at short notice to provide in-person support. Testing will continue as planned with two rapid Lateral Flow Tests available to all secondary school and college students and staff at the start of term to identify asymptomatic cases, break chains of transmission and beat the virus.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The new year will see new levels of Armed Forces support to overcoming this pandemic. Thousands of service personnel are working throughout the United Kingdom, wherever they are needed to assist the civil authorities.

“Manchester is the latest of those tasks and will be an important contribution to protecting the highest risk groups as the city seeks to recover. As a North West MP I am acutely aware of the considerable time many of us have been labouring under some form of lockdown and I hope our soldiers will help us get to the day when these restrictions will start to lift.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We are enormously grateful to the Armed Forces for lending their support to these important community testing programmes. Around one in three people with coronavirus showing no symptoms, asymptomatic testing is crucial to identifying those who might be unknowingly infected, and protecting our most vulnerable.

“These community testing schemes are part of a national testing programme with millions of lateral flow tests arriving in schools tomorrow, for the testing of students and staff, to add to the hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic tests currently being conducted in care homes, across the NHS and in critical infrastructure workplaces and food manufacturers.

“While the Army, alongside thousands of medical professionals and volunteers, help roll out the vaccination programme, we must remember that the first line of defence against the virus remains to wash our hands, cover our faces and keep space.”

Lt Gen Sir Tyrone Urch KBE, Commander Standing Joint Commander UK said: “I am incredibly proud of all the servicemen and women who have worked tirelessly for most of this year on Operation RESCRIPT, the military effort in support of the government’s campaign to tackle COVID-19.

“In recent weeks, our amazing staff have deployed at short notice to set up and staff community testing centres across the country in support of the NHS, DHSC, Devolved Nations and local communities.

“They have conducted a successful testing pilot in schools and contributed to vaccine rollout planning. Both Regular and Reservist personnel stepped up on Christmas Eve to help clear the backlog of trucks in Kent, setting up testing facilities overnight when they would otherwise have been spending the festive period with their families.

“I am humbled by the sacrifice and dedication of all our people from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force as we continue to contribute to our nation’s fight against the coronavirus.”

The MoD has deployed 10 military planners to assist the Vaccine Task Force, with over 150 personnel deployed across the UK to support organisational and logistical components of the Deployment Programme.

Two separate military planners are seconded to support the Vaccine Task Force Director. Additionally, 20 personnel are assisting with regional vaccine planning, end-to-end logistics and delivery.

From 11th January a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force is being established, with their training for the role beginning today. This will initially be 21 teams of six personnel assigned to the seven NHS England regions, able to provide surge support to the vaccine roll-out if required by local health authorities.

In Scotland, military planners are supporting the testing and vaccine programmes.

Earlier during the pandemic Armed Forces personnel supported healthcare professionals to deliver testing at Glasgow Airport, and RAF Puma helicopters were deployed to Kinloss Barracks in Moray to provide emergency assistance to NHS boards and trusts across Scotland.

In Wales, 90 service personnel are deployed to support Health Boards in rapidly establishing and operating vaccination centres. For the first-time trained defence medics will also support the administering of the vaccine. Ninety-four military personnel, including medics and drivers, have embedded with the Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust to support them by driving Ambulances.

In Northern Ireland the Defence Estate is being loaned to the PSNI for their use and the Armed Forces have placed medevac capabilities on standby for Covid-19 patients when needed.

COVID: MUTANT VIRUS CLOBBERS CHRISTMAS AS UK FACES NEW LOCKDOWN

Restrictions tightened due to spread of new variant of COVID-19.

Scotland will significantly tighten protections against Coronavirus (COVID-19) to prevent the spread of the new, highly contagious strain of the virus.

Following confirmation that the new variant of COVID-19 spreads substantially more quickly, the First Minister announced that Scotland needs to act now. 

To keep people safe, the First Minister announced:

  • the planned easing of restrictions around Christmas will be limited to Christmas Day itself, and not the previous 5 day window that was planned
  • legal household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households – however advice is to minimise the numbers. Where possible, people should celebrate the festive period at home in their own household and meet with others outdoors
  • other than for specific exemptions, travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will not be legal
  • travel within Scotland will be allowed on Christmas Day
  • from Boxing Day, all of Scotland will have Level 4 restrictions applied, including the closure of non-essential retail and hospitality. The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where restrictions have been reduced in recent weeks, who will be placed in Level 3
  • from Boxing Day, in line with existing law, travel across local authority boundaries between areas in Level 3 or 4 will not be legal other than for specific exempt purposes

The First Minister also set out new plans for the return of schools in the New Year. Teachers will return to work as planned and children of key workers and the most vulnerable children, will return to schools as planned.

For the majority of pupils the holiday period will be extended until 11 January and learning will begin online from then until at least 18 January.

All these measures will be kept under regular review.

The First Minister said: “Last week it was confirmed that a new variant of the virus had been identified in the UK, and I advised Parliament that a small number of cases of it had already been identified in Scotland.

“While further analysis is required to establish this one way or another, we already have a concern that this strain may be driving what appears to be faster transmission in some hospitals and care homes.

“That’s why we have decided to act and to act firmly.

“Firstly, we are asking everyone to redouble your personal efforts in sticking to the rules and following FACTS.

“Secondly, we intend to maintain a strict travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK. This will remain in place throughout the festive period. We simply cannot risk more of this strain entering the country if we can possibly avoid it.

“Thirdly, we now intend to change the law to allow mixing indoors in a bubble on Christmas Day only. The household limits will still apply – a maximum of 8 people from 3 households  – is the law. But the advice will be to minimise numbers as far as possible.

“My message is stay home, stay safe and enjoy Christmas. That is in your own interest and the interest of everyone you love.”

Speaking about beyond Christmas, the First Minister said: “To limit, as far as we can, the risk of this strain spreading further than it has within Scotland, we intend to apply Level 4 measures to all of mainland Scotland for a period of three weeks from one minute after midnight on Boxing Day morning.

“The only exceptions will be Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and the other island communities where we have reduced restrictions in recent weeks, who will go into Level 3 but with strict restrictions on who can travel to and from those islands.

“The situation the new strain presents means that until we are sure it is firmly under control – until we are sure we are not facing the same situation as the south of England today faces, we must slightly change our plans for the way our schools work.

“Schools still open next week will close as planned – we are not changing that. They were then due to reopen from 5 January with all councils areas back by the 7.

“Instead of that, here is what we are going to do – for the children of key workers – such as nurses in our hospitals – schools will open and stay open as normal. They will also open as normal for the most vulnerable children.

“All teachers will also return to work as scheduled and planned. For the majority of pupils, however, the holidays are being extended until 11 January. Starting on that date, learning will be online until at least 18 January.

“After that, assuming we are confident we have the virus under control we will aim to reopen schools more fully but at least until then, schools will go online only other than for the children of key workers and the most vulnerable.”

Following the First Minister’s statement, confirming a three week Tier 4 lockdown in Scotland from Boxing Day, Rhea Wolfson of the GMB Scotland Women’s Campaigns Unit said: “The Scottish Government can’t wait until mid-January to roll out workplace testing for home carers – they need to find a way to bring this forward immediately.

“We can’t have 14,000 home carers in Scotland, supported only with PPE, working through a lockdown prompted by a more transmissible strain of COVID-19.

“Failure to act now to protect these key workers and their service users would be an exacerbation of the negligence they have already endured.”

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes the decision to delay the return of pupils after the Christmas break until January 11th and that for the vast majority of pupils for this return to be to an online platform, with only the children of key workers and vulnerable children being in school.

“With a large number of schools already closed for the break, this late decision will once again create planning challenges for teachers but schools are much better prepared for remote learning than was the case in March. Given that the EIS has been calling for a ‘firebreak’ around the Christmas break, we view this announcement as being the correct one.

“It would make sense for those schools which are still open to move immediately to remote platforms.”

The First Minister’s statement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had earlier given a statement at the coronavirus press conference:

Good afternoon, I am sorry to report that the situation has deteriorated since I last spoke to you three days ago.

Yesterday afternoon, I was briefed on the latest data showing the virus spreading more rapidly in London, the South East and the East of England than would be expected given the tough restrictions which are already in place.

I also received an explanation for why the virus is spreading more rapidly in these areas. It appears this spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus, which we first learned about earlier this week.

Our advisory group on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats – NERVTAG – has spent the last few days analysing the new variant.

There is no evidence the variant causes more severe illness or higher mortality, but it does appear to be passed on significantly more easily.

NERVTAG’s early analysis suggests the new variant could increase R by 0.4 or greater. Although there is considerable uncertainty, it may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant.

This is early data. It is subject to review. It is the best we have at the moment, and we have to act on information as we have it because this is now spreading very fast.

The U.K. has by far the best genomic sequencing ability in the world, which means we are better able to identify new strains like this than any other country.

The Chief Medical Officer last night submitted our findings so far to the World Health Organisation and we will continue to be totally transparent with our global partners.

There is still much we don’t know. While we are fairly certain the variant is transmitted more quickly, there is no evidence to suggest that it is more lethal or causes more severe illness. Equally there is no evidence to suggest the vaccine will be any less effective against the new variant.

Our experts will continue their work to improve our understanding of the variant.

So we are learning more about this variant as we go.

But we know enough already to be sure that we must act now.

I met ministers on the Covid Operations Committee last night and again first thing this morning, and Cabinet met at lunchtime to agree the following actions.

First, we will introduce new restrictions in the most affected areas – specifically those parts of London, the South East and the East of England which are currently in tier 3.

These areas will enter a new tier 4, which will be broadly equivalent to the national restrictions which were in place in England in November.

That means:

Residents in those areas must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions set out in law. Non-essential retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities, and personal care services must close.

People must work from home if they can, but may travel to work if this is not possible, for example in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

People should not enter or leave tier 4 areas, and tier 4 residents must not stay overnight away from home. Individuals can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space.

Unlike the November national restrictions, communal worship can continue to take place in tier 4 areas.

These measures will take effect from tomorrow morning.

All tiers will continue to be regularly reviewed in line with the approach previously set out, with the next formal review point taking place on 30 December.

Second, we are issuing new advice on travel.

Although the new variant is concentrated in tier 4 areas, it is nonetheless present at lower levels around the country.

We are asking everyone, in all tiers, to stay local.

People should carefully consider whether they need to travel abroad and follow the rules in their tier.

Those in tier 4 areas will not be permitted to travel abroad apart from limited exceptions, such as for work purposes.

Third, we must, I am afraid, look again at Christmas.

As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country.

Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.

In England, those living in tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their own household at Christmas, though support bubbles will remain in place for those at particular risk of loneliness or isolation.

Across the rest of the country, the Christmas rules allowing up to three households to meet will now be limited to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days as previously set out.

As before, there will be no relaxation on 31 December, so people must not break the rules at New Year.

I know how much emotion people invest in this time of year, and how important it is for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and for families to be together.

So I know how disappointing this will be, but we have said throughout this pandemic that we must and we will be guided by the science.

When the science changes, we must change our response.

When the virus changes its method of attack, we must change our method of defence.

As your Prime Minister, I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me. Without action, the evidence suggests infections would soar, hospitals would become overwhelmed and many thousands more would lose their lives.

I want to stress we are not alone in this fight – many of our European friends and neighbours are being forced to take similar action.

We are working closely with the devolved administrations to protect people in every part of the UK.

Of course there is now hope – real hope – that we will soon be rid of this virus.

That prospect is growing with every day that passes and every vaccine dose administered.

The UK was the first country in the western world to start using a clinically approve vaccine.

So please, if the NHS contacts you then get your vaccine – and join the 350,000 people across the UK who have already had their first dose.

Yes, Christmas this year will be very different, but we must be realistic. We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases.

As sure as night follows day, we will beat back this virus.

We will defeat it.

And we will reclaim our lives.

Coronavirus: Valneva vaccine clinical trials get underway

  • Valneva begins first UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, being developed in Livingston, West Lothian
  • the UK government has pre-ordered 60 million vaccine doses
  • follows a multi-million-pound UK government investment in Valneva’s manufacturing facilities, boosting its capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses

Valneva has started UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, currently being developed in Livingston, West Lothian.

Speciality vaccine company Valneva’s candidate will initially be tested on 150 UK volunteers at four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) testing sites in Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Southampton. These early phase 1 and 2 trials will show whether the vaccine produces a safe and effective immune response against COVID-19.

Should this early trial prove successful, larger clinical trials will be planned for April 2021 with over 4,000 UK volunteers testing 2 doses of the vaccine in 2 groups: those aged between 18-65 years and over 65s.

The UK government has already pre-ordered Valneva’s vaccine candidate and should studies prove it to be safe and effective, 60 million doses could be made available to the UK by the end of 2021.

This latest milestone follows a multi-million-pound up-front investment announced in August by the UK government and Valneva to expand its Livingston facility. This supports over 100 highly skilled jobs for technicians and scientists at the West Lothian site, while advancing Scotland’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.

Through this investment, if Valneva’s vaccine candidate proves successful, this permanent facility will potentially have the capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses to the UK and internationally.

Valneva’s vaccine is the fifth to enter clinical trials in the UK, alongside Oxford/AstraZeneca, Imperial College London, Novavax and Janssen, whose studies are currently ongoing.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma, said: As we take the monumental steps in rolling out the first COVID-19 vaccine, we must remember that we need to have a range of vaccines available to protect the British public now and long into the future.

“Today we have more welcome news that life-saving clinical trials will begin across the country to test the safety and effectiveness of Valneva’s vaccine, which is being clinically developed right here in the UK.

“Having visited Valneva’s state-of-the art facility in the Summer, I have seen first-hand the incredible work our scientists and researchers are doing to develop this vaccine.

“Thanks to significant investment from the UK government, we are doing all we can to ensure our country has the capabilities in place to produce hundreds of millions of doses of this vaccine for the UK, and for those around the world.”

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “Today marks an important milestone not only in the UK’s fight against coronavirus but for the hundreds of staff at the Valneva facility in Livingston who have worked tirelessly over the last few months to develop this vaccine. This is a great example of the work of Scotland’s world-class life sciences sector.

“The UK government is doing everything it can to support all parts of the country throughout the pandemic including ordering and paying for vaccines for the whole of the UK. We are investing in Valvena’s manufacturing facility in Livingston, supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs.

“With a number of other vaccines in development, this gives us all hope for the months ahead.”

The UK was the first country in the world to both procure and authorise the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, ordering 40 million doses – enough for around a third of the population. The UK was also the first country in the West to start a mass COVID-19 vaccination programme, which began on 8 December.

In total, the UK government has developed a portfolio of 7 different vaccine candidates and secured access to 357 million doses to date, putting the UK in the best position for a vaccine and increasing chances of finding vaccines that work for different people.

Chief Executive Officer of Valneva Thomas Lingelbach said: “Our teams have been working extremely hard to develop our differentiated vaccine candidate and I would like to thank them, as well as the UK government, for their dedication and support.

“While conducting our first clinical trials, we are already ramping-up our manufacturing capacities and commencing production at full-scale so that we can make the vaccine widely available across the world assuming the vaccine is safe and effective.

Interim Chair of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix: “Huge progress has been made in developing a successful COVID-19 vaccine. While this is very positive, we must remember there is no one size fits all approach, and we need to continue developing different types of vaccine so we can vaccinate the UK population.

“We believe that Valneva’s vaccine is promising and has the potential to tackle coronavirus now and into the future, which is why we have pre-ordered 60 million doses and are investing to help them expand their UK manufacturing facility. This will not only support them in manufacturing hundreds of millions of vaccines for the whole world but boost the UK’s resilience against possible future heath crises.

Chief Investigator for the Valneva study Professor Adam Finn said: “We are really pleased to be initiating this first-in-man phase 1 study in Bristol and continuing it in several other centres across the country in the New Year.

“This is a more traditional vaccine design than those that have been in the news recently, consisting of the whole SARS CoV2 virus that has been chemically inactivated. This kind of viral vaccine has been in widespread use for 60 years.

“Our team will be working hard through the Christmas holiday period to get the first participants enrolled and vaccinated. We are pleased to be adding further to the research already done via the NIHR in Bristol over recent months to test COVID-19 vaccines and we are really grateful to the many members of our community who continue to come forward and volunteer to take part in this important work.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: “This is excellent news that Valneva, based in Livingston, are moving forward with clinical trials.

“The management of Covid-19 will take time and the Valneva Covid-19 vaccine will be part of the long term plan for beating the virus.

“I wish Valneva all the best with their clinical trials, so that a larger trial can be carried out early next year.”

Some of the volunteers taking part in Valneva’s clinical trials came through from the NHS Vaccines Registry, allowing the UK public to support the national effort to speed up vaccine research. Over 364,000 people have already signed up to the Registry, with more needed.

Additional information about volunteering for clinical studies can be found by visiting the NHS site to join the NHS Vaccine Research Registry.

The Registry was launched by the UK government in partnership with the NIHR, NHS Digital, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Executive in July. It aims to help create a database of people who consent to be contacted by the NHS to take part in clinical studies, to help speed up the development of a safe and effective vaccine.

Through the government’s Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 357 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccine candidates, including:

  • BioNTech/Pfizer – Phase III – 40 million doses secured
  • Oxford/Astra Zeneca – Phase III – 100 million doses secured
  • Moderna – Phase III – 7 million doses secured
  • Novavax – Phase III – 60 million doses secured
  • Janssen – Phase III – 30 million doses secured
  • GSK/Sanofi – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured
  • Valneva – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured, with an option to acquire a further 130 million if the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable.

Janey Godley: “Being mildly offensive helps get Corona message out there”

  • Janey Godley discusses positive effect of coronavirus daily briefing voiceovers in exclusive interview for the RSE (Royal Society of Edinburgh)
  • Interview with Kirsty Wark is first of two events focused on importance of effective public communication during coronavirus

Comedian Janey Godley has spoken about the positive impact of her viral social media videos in which she provides a voice-over to the First Minister’s daily coronavirus briefings, in an exclusive interview with Kirsty Wark FRSE for the RSE (Royal Society of Edinburgh), Scotland’s National Academy.

The comedic catchphrase of “Frank, get the door!” has become synonymous with the daily briefings, and while the videos have brought light relief to many, they have also served a much more important purpose of reinforcing the key messages of “stay at home” delivered to the public by the First Minister.

Godley said: “I basically imagined a wee woman called Jeanette at the bus stop, and how she would translate the daily briefings to her friend, wee Agnes.”

In the interview, Godley also highlighted that the comedy sketches are “not about the politician, and it’s not about the politics, it’s about getting the message about coronavirus out there, in an informed, relatable and mildly offensive way.”

The interview was organised as part of the RSE’s Post-Covid-19 Futures Commission’s Public Debate and Participation workstream, and is the first of two events with Janey Godley around the topic of communication during the pandemic.

Next Thursday (17 December) she will be joined by Professor Jason Leitch and Professor Mona Siddiqui OBE FRSE for a live panel event, “Voices of Covid” hosted by Professor Dame Anne Glover; in which they will discuss the importance of communication with the public during coronavirus, and take live questions from the viewers.

Dr. Rebekah Widdowfield, chief executive of the RSE said: “The importance of clear communication around a public issue like coronavirus cannot be overstated. While the Government’s daily briefing has been a steady, reliable way to provide updates to the public, the repetitive nature of the guidance can cause the impact to be somewhat dampened.

“This is where Janey Godley’s contribution has been its most effective – by adding comedy and relatability to the content, it has encouraged the public to reengage with the messaging.

“Supporting public dialogue and debate is a key objective of our Post-Covid-19 Futures Commission and the event hosted by RSE President Anne Glover next week with Janey, Jason Leitch and Mona Siddiqui will provide a deeper insight into the challenges of communication during a pandemic, and allow the public to put their questions to some of the key voices we’ve heard throughout the last nine months.”

“Kirsty and Janey In Conversation” will be premiered on the RSE’s Facebook Page at 7pm on Friday (11 December), and will also be available on the RSE’s YouTube channel.

“Voices of Covid Who Cuts Through & Why?”; with Janey Godley, Professor Jason Leitch and Mona Siddiqui OBE FRSE, hosted by RSE President, Professor Dame Anne Glover, will be  held on Thursday 17th of December at 2.30pm, you can sign up here

Charity raises concern over U-turn on vaccination for unpaid carers

A leading charity has raised concerns over an apparent Scottish Government u-turn which sees unpaid carers now no longer included in the “first-wave” of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The concern has been raised by Kindred, an advocacy organisation supporting parents of children with complex needs, which has warned of the impact on these children if their parents contract the virus and are unable to provide care.

The charity had made the vaccine call in a letter to Health Cabinet Secretary, Jeane Freeman MSP, on 11th November on the back of a report it published highlighting the “devastating” impact of the pandemic lockdown on families of children with exceptional health needs.

On 19th November Ms Freeman noted that unpaid carers would be in the “first wave” of vaccinations, between December 2020 and February 2021. 

However, on 3rd December, in her statement to the Scottish Parliament she noted that, alongside those most vulnerable on an age and health basis, the “only sectoral exception [for vaccine priority] is for the health and social care workforce.”

On 4th December, it all became clear in a “Vaccine stakeholder note” from the Scottish Government Directorate for Mental Health and Social Care that “carers and their families are not included in the prioritisation list.”

Director of the charity, Sophie Pilgrim, has written to the Cabinet Secretary on the back of this apparent u-turn on her earlier commitment (letter available on request), noting:

“At this time of national crisis, it seems we are prepared to ignore the plight of our most vulnerable children. These children, with shorter lives, have lost out on therapy, education and social opportunities. Their parents, on whom they are totally dependent, are exhausted to the point of burnout.

“In Scotland, we pride ourselves in aspiring to be the ‘best country in the world for children to grow up’. We should dare to be different and stand up for our children who are most in need. I urge you to include unpaid carers amongst the first to receive the vaccine.”

The repeated call comes on the back of a survey undertaken of the parents of children with complex health needs.1

The results show that:

  • 93 percent of these families experienced an impact on their ability to meet their children’s medical and care needs due to the pandemic; 63 percent said that the impact of the pandemic on their ability to provide care was ‘big’ or ‘severe’.
  • Two out of every three parents who took part in the survey said sleep deprivation was one of the main factors that impacted their ability to care for their children.  It was the norm for these parents to get an average of five hours of broken sleep per night.  Kindred has called for an urgent need to investigate the provision of overnight respite care across Scotland.
  • Over a third of parents received no respite care before the pandemic and this dropped to 60 per cent after the start of the pandemic.  This highlights the importance of schools in supporting parents and giving them a break from caring.  Almost all the children attended special school with access to therapy, and the expertise of Additional Support for Learning staff.  There is no doubt that schools are preventing crisis and family breakdown where a child has high care needs.  

Sophie Pilgrim, Director of Kindred, commented: “This apparent u-turn by the Scottish Government is deeply devastating news for the families of children with complex needs and life limiting conditions. 

“At this time of national crisis, it seems we are prepared to ignore the plight of our most vulnerable children. These children, with shorter lives, have lost out on therapy, education and social opportunities. Their parents, on whom they are totally dependent, are exhausted to the point of burnout and simply cannot afford to get sick.

“In Scotland, we pride ourselves in aspiring to be the ‘best country in the world for children to grow up’. We should dare to be different and stand up for our children who are most in need.”

Alex Davey, from East Lothian, is fulltime carer to her six-year-old son, Benjamin, who has complex medical needs including tube-feeding, epilepsy and overnight ventilation.

She has written a blog to highlight her disappointment and said:

“My key concern as Benjamin’s mother is that my husband and myself contract Covid-19, rendering us incapable of meeting his complex care needs, potentially for a long period of time.

“Early access to the vaccine is therefore imperative to ensure that families like ours can be sure that they can continue to care for their child.

“One can therefore only imagine our joy when we heard that unpaid carers would be among the first wave to receive the vaccine. We cheered, we celebrated, we called each other up and cried tears of pure relief. We were no longer overlooked.

“In fact, we are not just overlooked, we were cruelly misled and our hopes were built up, only to be dashed.

“We cannot understand why the Scottish Government has reneged on its commitment and we would urge it to do the honourable thing and honour the original commitment made.”

Vaccination programme is GO!

The first vaccinations against coronavirus (COVID-19) have been given in Scotland to those who will be carrying out the vaccination programme.

Initial supplies of the Pfizer vaccine have been arriving at NHS Boards across Scotland since the weekend and are being stored at the required Ultra Low Temperature ahead of the start of the vaccination programme.

Scotland’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman was at NHS Lothian’s Western General Hospital to see the roll-out begin, with vaccinators being vaccinated first.

After that, the focus will be on vaccinating residents in care homes for older adults and their carers and other frontline healthcare workers. People over the age of 80 will then receive their injections, as supply allows. As those being vaccinated need two doses at least 21 days apart, 50 per cent of the vaccines will be kept back in to make sure we can give the second injection within the advised timeframe.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “This is obviously a very welcome milestone in our collective fight against the pandemic and I am very grateful to all those who have worked so hard to ensure Scotland is ready to deliver these first COVID-19 vaccinations.

“Science has given us hope and we are starting on a journey which will eventually allow us to return to the lives we want to lead.

“Following clinical advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) we will begin with those groups which have been prioritised to address 99 per cent of preventable deaths associated with COVID-19.

“These include elderly care home residents and staff, frontline health and social care workers and a number of other groups who are at risk of serious harm and death from this virus.

“We ask everyone to be patient as we work through these groups as quickly as vaccine supply allows and we urge you to go for the vaccine when it’s your turn.

“Meantime it remains very important that as we vaccinate, we all stick to the necessary restrictions and public health advice to keep suppressing the virus to as low a level as we can.

“A vaccination programme of this scale is a significant logistical challenge and requires a major nationwide effort.  But it is one we undertake with optimism and determination to succeed.” 

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman (above) said: “I felt genuinely privileged to see this long hoped for and clinically crucial vaccination programme begin at NHS Lothian’s Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, and I would like to sincerely thank all those involved in the vast amount of work which has allowed us to reach this absolute milestone in our COVID-19 response.

“The arrival of these first COVID-19 vaccines is a huge turning point for us all, and will protect those most at risk from the serious effects of the virus, but we can’t relax yet. Even after the first people are vaccinated it will be important for now that everyone continues to follow the Scottish Government’s guidance for their area and above all to follow FACTS.

“These will continue to be the most important things we can do to protect ourselves and others from the virus, as we continue to roll out the vaccination to all of those who need it.”

Clinical Lead for the COVID Vaccination Hub at the Western General Hospital Pauline Bell said: “I am incredibly proud to be leading the team of vaccinators here at the Western General Hospital, for this unique and hugely important vaccination programme.

“An enormous amount of planning and preparation from across the organisation has been undertaken to get us to this point, so I am looking forward to finally welcoming staff into the clinic.

“As we prepare to administer the very first vaccinations, we reach a crucial juncture in the fight against COVID-19, the beginning of the journey towards a return to normality.”

Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:

F – Face coverings

A – Avoid crowded places

C – Clean your hands regularly

T – Two metre distance

S – Self isolate and book a test if you have symptoms

Charity claims that Covid has stalled the fight against funeral poverty

A recently released report by Royal London found that the year started positively with the number of people who struggle to meet the cost of a funeral reducing from 12% last year to 9% this year*. 

However, Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown has disrupted this trend and continues to do so as John Halliday – co-founder of charity run funeral directors Caledonia Cremation – explains: “The funeral restrictions implemented during lockdown did lead to simpler funerals. However, many still felt the financial strain upon losing a loved one. The average cost of a basic cremation in Scotland is still high – £3,569 and cremation fees continue to rise higher than inflation.  

“We must also consider the wider impact of Covid-19. Lockdown and restrictions have resulted in significant job losses which has meant more people entering the lower income bracket.

“Support services such as the Department of Social Security and the Register of Deaths department have also been stretched which has provided even more barriers to support for the bereaved. 

“Also, organisations who were campaigning to improve the industry have stalled because of Covid-19. The Competitions and Market Authority were set to recommend remedies to ongoing issues which have contributed to funeral poverty – overpricing or confusing pricing by some in the funeral industry. But Covid has meant that they have had to put this on hold. 

All these factors have created a desperate situation for bereaved people in Scotland, especially those from low-income households. 

“The recently released Royal London report* has found that around two in five bereaved people surveyed (39%) said that Covid-19 has made their financial situation worse (with 13% saying it has got much worse, and 25% saying slightly worse). 

“During the lockdown, we too have had to have extended our support by launching a free emotional support helpline in addition to offering not-for-profit cremations. Due to the delays in some Government departments, we also absorbed the administration on behalf of our clients so they could grieve without the additional stress.” 
 

Caledonia Cremation supported one Edinburgh client who felt the real impact of the Covid-19. 

As lockdown had a devastating impact on the tourism industry, Mical lost her job at an airline. Shortly afterwards, her grandmother and father passed away in quick succession.

She explained:  “I had only just lost my job when my grandmother passed away from Covid. I hadn’t had the chance to apply for benefits, so I didn’t qualify for any for any financial help. 

“Luckily, I found Caledonia Cremation who cremated my grandmother using funds I managed to collect from the whole family. Then my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“Shortly after the diagnosis he caught Covid and passed away. I once again turned to Caledonia Cremation who helped me apply for the Funeral Support Payment to cover the cost of that cremation. 

“Without Caledonia Cremation,I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done. I think that the only alternative would have been to get into thousands of pounds of debt, and maybe try and arrange some sort of payment plan which could take a long time to clear, especially as I am currently unemployed.”  

As more job losses are predicted, John is urging everyone to reconsider before taking out a loan to pay for their loved one’s funeral: ““We have been fighting funeral poverty in Scotland since 2018 by providing not-for-profit cremations and practical and emotional support. 

“Since we started, we have calculated that we have saved bereaved Scots over £1million in funeral costs. We believe this has sparked a revolution in funerals with more Scottish funeral directors providing affordable options and more transparent pricing.  

“With the continuing Covid restrictions still affecting people’s financial situation, we urge any bereaved people to know they aren’t alone. If they need support during these terrible times – get in touch and we will help.” 

* The Impact of Covid-19 on Funerals – National Funeral Cost Index Report 2020 by Royal London 

COVID VACCINE BREAKTHROUGH

‘Today is a great day for science and humanity’

The first effective vaccine against coronavirus vaccine can prevent more than 90% of people from getting Covid-19, a preliminary analysis shows. The vaccine developers, Pfizer and BioNTech – have described it as a “great day for science and humanity”.

  • Vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis
  • Analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants
  • Study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42% having diverse backgrounds, and no serious safety concerns have been observed; Safety and additional efficacy data continue to be collected
  • Submission for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planned for soon after the required safety milestone is achieved, which is currently expected to occur in the third week of November
  • Clinical trial to continue through to final analysis at 164 confirmed cases in order to collect further data and characterize the vaccine candidate’s performance against other study endpoints

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE today announced their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated evidence of efficacy against COVID-19 in participants without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the first interim efficacy analysis conducted on November 8, 2020 by an external, independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) from the Phase 3 clinical study.


“Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19,” said Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chairman and CEO.

“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen.

“With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis. We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks.”

After discussion with the FDA, the companies recently elected to drop the 32-case interim analysis and conduct the first interim analysis at a minimum of 62 cases. Upon the conclusion of those discussions, the evaluable case count reached 94 and the DMC performed its first analysis on all cases.

The case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates a vaccine efficacy rate above 90%, at 7 days after the second dose. This means that protection is achieved 28 days after the initiation of the vaccination, which consists of a 2-dose schedule.

As the study continues, the final vaccine efficacy percentage may vary. The DMC has not reported any serious safety concerns and recommends that the study continue to collect additional safety and efficacy data as planned. The data will be discussed with regulatory authorities worldwide.

“I want to thank the thousands of people who volunteered to participate in the clinical trial, our academic collaborators and investigators at the study sites, and our colleagues and collaborators around the world who are dedicating their time to this crucial endeavor,” added Bourla. “We could not have come this far without the tremendous commitment of everyone involved.”

“The first interim analysis of our global Phase 3 study provides evidence that a vaccine may effectively prevent COVID-19. This is a victory for innovation, science and a global collaborative effort,” said Prof. Ugur Sahin, BioNTech co-founder and CEO.

“When we embarked on this journey 10 months ago this is what we aspired to achieve. Especially today, while we are all in the midst of a second wave and many of us in lockdown, we appreciate even more how important this milestone is on our path towards ending this pandemic and for all of us to regain a sense of normality.

“We will continue to collect further data as the trial continues to enroll for a final analysis planned when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to make this important achievement possible.”

The Phase 3 clinical trial of BNT162b2 began on July 27 and has enrolled 43,538 participants to date, 38,955 of whom have received a second dose of the vaccine candidate as of November 8, 2020.

Approximately 42% of global participants and 30% of U.S. participants have racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The trial is continuing to enroll and is expected to continue through the final analysis when a total of 164 confirmed COVID-19 cases have accrued.

The study also will evaluate the potential for the vaccine candidate to provide protection against COVID-19 in those who have had prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, as well as vaccine prevention against severe COVID-19 disease.

In addition to the primary efficacy endpoints evaluating confirmed COVID-19 cases accruing from 7 days after the second dose, the final analysis now will include, with the approval of the FDA, new secondary endpoints evaluating efficacy based on cases accruing 14 days after the second dose as well.

The companies believe that the addition of these secondary endpoints will help align data across all COVID-19 vaccine studies and allow for cross-trial learnings and comparisons between these novel vaccine platforms. The companies have posted an updated version of the study protocol at https://www.pfizer.com/science/coronavirus.

Pfizer and BioNTech are continuing to accumulate safety data and currently estimate that a median of two months of safety data following the second (and final) dose of the vaccine candidate – the amount of safety data specified by the FDA in its guidance for potential Emergency Use Authorization – will be available by the third week of November. Additionally, participants will continue to be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose.

Along with the efficacy data generated from the clinical trial, Pfizer and BioNTech are working to prepare the necessary safety and manufacturing data to submit to the FDA to demonstrate the safety and quality of the vaccine product produced.

Based on current projections the companies expect to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Pfizer and BioNTech now plan to submit data from the full Phase 3 trial for scientific peer-review publication.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to hold a press conference at 5pm and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the vaccine announcement is welcome news.

The First Minister ended today’s lunchtime media briefing by saying: “It might not be all that visible at the moment but there is light at the end of this tunnel.

“The news we’ve heard this morning – that early indications show a vaccine being developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which has been trialled in other countries across the world, is 90% effective – is good news.  Perhaps amongst the best news we have had in recent weeks. 

“It’s not going to provide us with the way out of this today, or tomorrow, or next week, or perhaps not even in this calendar year. But this development, along with all of the work that is going into the development of other vaccines, does give us real hope that in the not too distant future, science is going to find us the way out of this terrible time. 

“So hold onto that hope today, and also use it as a motivation. What we are living through right now, and all the restrictions that are so difficult for all of us, will not last forever. But it is really important we stick with them so that we get out of the other side of this with as few people as possible becoming ill, with as few people as possible losing their lives.

“That means all of us sticking with these tough restrictions that we are all fed up with but which we know will reduce the impact of this virus. 

“So please stick with it for now and keep hold of the hope we have today that there is an end, and that we will see it in the not too distant future.” 

JVT: ‘We are at a tipping point’

The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam outlines the current Covid-19 situation:

In our national fight against Covid-19, we are at a tipping point similar to where we were in March; but we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act now.

ONS data show that an estimated 224,000 people have the virus – up from 116,000 last week, hospital admissions for Covid-19 are rising again, as are intensive care admissions. Although the epidemic re-started in younger adult age groups in the last few weeks, there is clear evidence of gradual spread into older age groups in the worst affected areas.

Sadly, just as night follows day, increases in deaths will now follow on in the next few weeks. The good news, is that we are much more certain now that children are usually not badly affected by this virus.

The R for the UK is between 1.2 – 1.5. Roughly this means that every one case generates more than one new case, through onward transmission – so the epidemic grows larger. Every NHS region of England has an R that is well above 1.0, suggesting that widespread increases in transmission continues across the country, not just in the north of England. Scientists estimate that the doubling time in the UK for new infections is between 8 and 16 days and is even faster in some areas.

SAGE is clear that we need to act now.

Winter in the NHS is always a difficult period, and that is why in the first wave our strategy was: “contain, delay, research and mitigate” to push the first wave into Spring. This time it is different as we are now are going into the colder, darker winter months. We are in the middle of a severe pandemic and the seasons are against us. Basically, we are running into a headwind.

The NHS is bracing itself and they will do what they always do, which is work their socks off to help as many people as possible. But we need to be realistic – there is only so much they can do. We all have to help our hard-working NHS staff continue to care for everyone who needs it urgently, and provide as many non-urgent tests, checks and treatments as possible, by helping to stem the rising tide of infections.

People point out that we must not lose sight of the indirect harms of Covid-19. They are absolutely right. We need to keep elective surgeries and non-urgent services open for as long as we can; we need to keep cancer treatment and diagnostic services going; and we need to continue to provide mental health services. And importantly, we need people to come forward for that care when they need it – and we know that, during the first peak, fear of the virus put many off from doing so.

The best way we can do this is to keep the number of Covid-19 cases down. If cases rise dramatically the NHS will need to focus more on dealing with the life threatening situations immediately in front of them; this can mean freeing up staff and space by postponing other non-urgent procedures and treatments. We need to help the NHS by keeping Covid-19 numbers low; and in turn the NHS will be there for us, our families and loved ones.

The principles for how we keep transmission low have not changed. Above all else, if you have Covid-19 symptoms you must self-isolate in line with published guidance and get a test.

At all times, even when you are well, wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering in confined spaces and follow the 2 metre social distancing rules. By keeping our contacts low we reduce the number of opportunities for the virus to spread. I know this is very hard, but it is an unfortunate scientific fact that the virus thrives on humans making social contact with one another.

What I would give to have had the level of data, testing and medical insight we have now back in February and March this year. We now have much-improved testing capabilities, we know in more detail where the disease is, and we have better treatments.

Earlier in the year we were fighting a semi-invisible disease, about which we had little knowledge, and it seeded in the community at great speed. Now we know where it is and how to tackle it – let’s grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce tougher restrictions for England tomorrow.