Tag: vaccination

NHS Lothian: Stick with safety precautions to stay COVID-19 safe

NHS Lothian has urged people not to give up on vital COVID-19 safety precautions as Scotland enters a new phase of the pandemic.

Dona Milne, Director of Public Health and Health Policy, NHS Lothian, said that while fewer people were becoming seriously ill from the disease, the number of new cases in Lothian have reached levels last seen during the last lockdown.

And she warned that the stringent use of safety precautions – face masks, handwashing and social distancing – with vaccination and increased community testing – was still vital to get a grip on the virus.

Dona said: “The last time our numbers of infections were so high was in January when we were all living under stay at home restrictions as part of the national lockdown.  Covid hasn’t gone away and can still cause serious illness. It is critical we remember that.

“Thankfully fewer people are becoming seriously unwell – but that is only down to the success of the vaccination programme. It is not because of a reduction in the threat that COVID-19 poses to us all.

“We know that 1 in 3 people who have Covid do not show symptoms of the virus but can still transmit it, so we should all be testing ourselves twice a week to keep ourselves, family and communities safe. 

“Those test results help us to target an area before the virus really takes hold, causing a surge in cases. The earlier a trend is identified, the more effective the measures, such as increased vaccination, will be. In turn, this will then help to reduce the chances of more region-wide or national restrictions.”

At the moment, around 203 per 100,000 people in Lothian are testing positive for the virus, with around 200 new cases every day of mostly younger adults and school aged children. 

Dona added: “As the restrictions begin to ease and the list of things we can do begins to increase, it’s tempting to think that it’s safe. The virus is still around us and it doesn’t mean that these things can be done without face masks, handwashing and social distancing. We cannot afford to return to normal just because we want it so badly. Lives may depend on it.

“We know that the weather is better and people want to get together and mix with friends, especially outdoors. As our worlds open up these things are allowed, and as we know outside is always safer, but we still need to think about maintaining our distance and wearing face masks when we can’t. 

“The problem is that people are dropping their guard when they are inside and out and especially if alcohol is involved. If you are indoors, you must keep numbers to a minimum and ensure good ventilation.”

Over the last three weeks, the specialist health protection team in Lothian has dealt with scores of separate situations in a number of settings such as hospitality events, weddings, workplaces, a beach party and schools.

There were more than 5549 positive cases, which generated more than 20,861 contacts.Fortunately, the number of people testing positive are not having such a serious impact on the NHS because so many people over the age of 40 are either fully vaccinated or about to undergo their second dose.

However, Dona urged people not to give in and to stick with the restrictions for a bit longer to give the vaccination programme more time to vaccinate more people and provide vital protection for younger adults.

So far, a total of 974,843 doses of the vaccine have been administered in clinics across NHS Lothian and the vaccination programme is working as fast as the vaccine supply allows. Drop-in clinics for the over 40s have also been launched at all the of the mass vaccination sites, except Lowland, to provide a first or second jab and more protection to as many people as possible.

Dona added: “It would be unthinkable to have come this far and to throw away all of our good work now. We must continue to live within the restrictions for a bit longer to give us a little more time to vaccinate more people and give them the protection they need. 

“Everyone living and working in Lothian has done really well so far and I would thank them for all of their efforts so far. I would ask everyone just to stick with it for a bit longer. Please continue to follow the safety precautions, keep your vaccination appointment, maintain regular testing and self-isolate if required.”

2,999 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Scotand yesterday – the highest ever daily figure.

Two thirds of adult Scots have now received their first jag

More than three million people vaccinated in Scotland

The vaccination programme has delivered first doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to more than three million people  –  66.6% of Scotland’s adult population.

The landmark was reached on Friday 14 May. Nataliya Dasiukevich from Milngavie was among those vaccinated on the day the milestone was reached. The 45 year old received her first dose at the Allander Leisure Centre in Bearsden.

The national vaccination programme is now moving through those aged 40 – 49 years old and more than 50% of this age group have come forward to receive their first vaccination.

As the programme progresses through this group, appointments are being scheduled for those aged 30-39 years old. In line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) people in this age group will be offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine when it is appropriate to do so.

Meanwhile 1,599,519 of the population have received their second dose which offers greater and longer lasting protection against the virus.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said; “It is down to the enormous efforts of our vaccination teams around the country that more than three million people in Scotland – two thirds of the adult population – have received their first dose and I would like to say a huge thank you to them and all those who have taken up their offer of a vaccine.

“The vaccination programme is one of the main ways – along with restrictions and testing – that we are working to beat this virus and so it is crucial that everyone attends for their appointments when they are offered. This is equally important for those receiving appointments for their second dose as these offer longer lasting protection against COVID-19.

“It is great news that more than half of 40-49 year olds have now come forward and had their vaccine. Everyone has a role to play in helping to bring this virus under control and we want to see our high uptake rates continuing through all the age groups. I would urge all 40-49-year-olds to take the chance of getting vaccinated when your chance comes.  

“The latest advice from the JCVI regarding 30- 39 year olds is clear that it is based on the current low prevalence of the virus and the availability of alternatives to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. If the situation changes the advice is that vaccination of adults aged 30-39 years with any of the UK authorised vaccines is always better than no vaccination, except where there are specific medical reasons for not doing so.

“Supplies permitting, we still expect to offer a first dose to all adults in Scotland by the end of July.”

Ms Dasiukevich said: “I am delighted to have had my first vaccine and I hope it encourages everyone in my age group to take up their offer of a vaccine as it is by doing so and following restrictions we can start to think about a return to normal life.

“I want to thank everyone at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde – all the staff were reassuring and the process was clearly explained. I was also give a leaflet with further information. I look forward to getting my second dose in around twelve weeks’ time.”

Director of Public Health for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Dr Linda De Caestecker said: “Thank you to everyone who has come out to get their vaccination so far. The rollout has been the most significant of any vaccination programme ever undertaken by the Health Board and the numbers of doses administered both within NHSGGC and across Scotland is hugely encouraging.

“Our staff have been the driving force behind the local rollout, and we thank them for their ongoing dedication and enthusiasm during this difficult period.

“The vaccine provides our best way out of the coronavirus pandemic and a return, in time, to the things we’ve all missed. We continue to urge everyone to take up the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19.”

More than 36 million people in the UK have now been vaccinated with 1 dose and 20 million have received 2 doses.

Lothian MSP encourages capital residents to get involved with Covid-19 vaccination trials

Lothian MSP Miles Briggs is encouraging Edinburgh residents to get involved with Covid-19 vaccination trials.

Miles Briggs said: “Phase 3 of Valneva Covid-19 vaccination trials are pivotal for getting the new vaccinations into production.

“Two thirds of adults have had their first dose of a vaccine and a third their first dose, but booster doses will likely be required later in the year.

“The distribution of vaccines to other countries across Europe and globally will also be important, with most countries being behind Scotland and the UK in their vaccine rollout.

“I would encourage anyone over 18 who is interested in being involved with the Valneva vaccine trial to sign up at ukcovid19study.com”

In January 2021 we started commercial manufacturing of our COVID-19 vaccine at our site in Livingston, which is a globally qualified manufacturing site for viral vaccines.

We are producing our COVID-19 vaccine on our established Vero-cell platform – leveraging the manufacturing technology for our licensed Japanese Encephalitis vaccine. This video provides a snapshot of manufacturing at our site in Scotland. 

We are also significantly expanding our facilities at Livingston to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity, which is creating new jobs in the area.  

Last month we reported positive data from the Phase 1/2 trial of our inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, which found that it was well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified, and highly immunogenic. 

Alongside NIHR and NHS Research Scotland, we have now initiated a pivotal Phase 3 trial at around 25 sites, including the Western General in Edinburgh.

Unlike earlier COVID-19 vaccine trials, which involved a placebo dose, everyone involved in this trial will receive two active vaccine doses.

Even as existing vaccines are rolled out, there is an ongoing need for people to volunteer for vaccine research.

If you’re over 18 and haven’t had a #vaccine yet, you could be eligible to take part in the Phase 3 trial of Valneva’s inactivated #COVID19 vaccine. Find out more at: ukcovid19study.com #BePartofResearch

The #Valneva vaccine being manufactured in Livingston is the only inactivated #COVID19 vaccine in development in Europe and it’s now being trialled in #Edinburgh.

To find out about the #vaccine and getting vaccinated, take a look at: ukcovid19study.com

As we roll out existing #COVID19 vaccines, experts are working on new ones & boosters to protect us over time. Crucially, volunteers are still needed for trials.

To find out about the Valneva #vaccine trial, taking place in Edinburgh, visit: ukcovid19study.com

Two-thirds of UK adults receive first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine

  • Two-thirds of UK adults – 35 million – have now been vaccinated with a first dose of a COVID-19 jab
  • More than 16.7 million people in the UK vaccinated with a second dose of a COVID-19 jab
  • Public urged to get the jab when their time comes and do their bit to send the virus into retreat

Two-thirds of UK adults have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Health services across the UK have now administered a total of 51.8 million vaccines between 8 December and 7 May, including 35 million people with their first dose (66.6%) and 16.7 million with their second (31.8%).

The government met its target of vaccinating the most vulnerable by 15 April, and remains on track to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This has been a truly national effort, with NHS and care staff and volunteers coming together across the UK to deliver the vaccine at an incredible pace, saving thousands of lives.

“One jab at a time, the approved vaccines are helping to send this virus into retreat, with coronavirus cases and deaths now at their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic. I strongly encourage everyone to take up the offer when it comes so we can put this pandemic behind us.”

Data from Public Health England’s real-world study shows the vaccines are already having a significant impact in the UK, reducing hospitalisations and deaths, saving more than 10,000 lives in England by the end of March.

The latest vaccine effectiveness data from PHE show that in those aged over 70, both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines reduce the risk of getting symptomatic disease by around 60% after a single dose.

This protection lasts for several weeks. In those aged over 80, protection against hospitalisation is around 80% and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 85% effective at stopping people aged over 80 dying from COVID-19.

Data from the ONS and Oxford University shows that COVID-19 infections fell significantly, by 65% after the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, rising further after the second dose.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: Two thirds of the adult population have now been vaccinated with one dose in the UK – an incredible achievement.

“It is now more important than ever to come forward for the second dose, so we can ensure everyone has the absolute strongest possible protection from this dreadful virus.

“I encourage everyone to book their jab as soon as they’re offered it, and to come back for their second dose. It’s never too late to come forward if you are eligible.”

An extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the UK government to help support preparations for the booster COVID-19 vaccination programme from the autumn if clinically needed.

All vaccines being used in the UK have met the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.

Rolling reviews are underway by the MHRA to assess the Janssen and Novavax vaccines.

Approved vaccines are available from thousands of NHS vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies. Vaccinations are taking place at sites including mosques, community centres and football stadiums.

Covid: Vaccination of Scotland’s healthcare workers offers some protection against transmission to their household contacts

A study of all healthcare workers employed by the NHS in Scotland and their households, shows that the rate of infection with Covid-19 for people that live with healthcare workers is at least 30% lower when the worker has been vaccinated mostly with a single dose.

Since household members of healthcare workers can also be infected via other people (not just via the healthcare worker they live with), this 30% relative risk reduction is an underestimate of the ‘true’ effect of vaccination on transmission.

Research led by Public Health Scotland and the University of Glasgow (with contributions from researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Strathclyde) involved over 300,000 people in total and ran between 8 December 2020 and 3 March 2021.

The study, using record linkage, compared cases of Covid-19 and hospitalisations due to Covid-19 in household members of both vaccinated, and unvaccinated health care workers.

Where healthcare workers had received a second dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before, their household members had a rate of Covid-19 which was at least 54% lower than household members where healthcare workers had not been vaccinated.

While the study was not designed to examine the uptake of vaccination among healthcare workers, current work does suggest that at least some patient facing healthcare workers, particularly younger staff and those not in high exposure roles, may not have been vaccinated yet.

PHS hope that these findings would give them extra encouragement to be vaccinated, as it suggests that the vaccine offers protection not only to themselves but also to their close contacts. Any patient-facing healthcare worker who has not yet been vaccinated should contact their local health board.

Public Health Scotland will be publishing more definitive results on vaccination uptake in patient-facing healthcare workers on our daily dashboard later today (Friday 12 March).

Dr Diane Stockton, PHS Lead for COVID-19 Vaccination Surveillance Programme, said: “The results from this study as part of our vaccine effectiveness work, are very encouraging because it suggests that the vaccine helps prevent people from passing on the virus to others – something that has been suspected but hasn’t previously been shown. 

“Despite this good news, it is important to remember that infection prevention and control practices in healthcare settings remain of paramount importance, as do the mitigations to prevent spread in our daily lives. The risk of transmission did not go down to zero after the healthcare worker was vaccinated.

“As Scotland continues to deliver its national Covid-19 vaccination programme, this study does give one more reason why everyone invited to have a vaccine should take up the offer, as not only will it help protect them from COVID-19, but it will help protect the people close to them.”

Dr David McAllister, University of Glasgow said: “Our study has important implications for informing vaccination strategies. The JCVI in the United Kingdom recently commented on the lack of real-world evidence evaluating the role of vaccination programmes on transmission.

“We provide the first direct evidence that vaccinating individuals working in high-exposure settings reduces the risk to their close contacts – members of their households. Our work will also be of interest to modellers, as it can be used to inform their predictions about future rates of COVID-19 in the community.”

More pupils back from 15th March

Phase 2 of schools return announced

All remaining primary school children are set to return to school full-time from 15 March, with all secondary pupils returning on a part-time basis from that date.

Regulated childcare, including breakfast and after-school clubs, for primary pupils will also re-start on 15 March as part of the Phase 2 return.

From 15 March, all secondary pupils will receive both high quality remote learning and some in-school teaching. Councils will decide how to safely balance in-school learning based on local circumstances and needs.

Senior phase students (S4-S6) who are taking national qualifications will have priority for face-to-face lessons in school.

Updated schools safety guidance to support the phased return will be published next week and Education Scotland will develop practical guidance for schools, which will be also published shortly.

Local authorities will be encouraged to support young people’s wellbeing in other ways – for example, by providing more opportunities for outdoor learning.

Colleges, who can have up to 5% of learners on campus at any one time, will also be able to prioritise senior phase pupils.

The plans are conditional on continued progress on suppressing coronavirus. All pupils are expected to return to full-time schooling after Easter, subject to continued suppression of the virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I can confirm that the next phase of reopening education will take place on 15 March. From that date – unless new evidence or new circumstances force us to reconsider – all children in primary 4 to 7 will go back to school on a full-time basis and all primary school children will be able to return to regulated childcare.

“All secondary school pupils will return to spend some time in school from 15 March  – with a clear expectation that all secondary school pupils will be back in school on a full-time basis after the Easter holidays.

“The phased approach to school return is firmly based on the expert advice that we have received. It is the best and also the most sustainable and enduring way to get as many children back to school as possible, as safely as possible.”

All secondary pupils will continue to be required to observe two metre physical distancing while in school in the period immediately after the Phase 2 return. This is in addition to existing measures, including the use of face coverings. School transport will operate with the same physical distancing rules as public transport.

EIS Writes to Party Leaders Urging Support for Vaccinating School Staff

The EIS has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister John Swinney and to the Holyrood leaders of Scotland’s major political parties, calling for their support to vaccinate school staff against Covid.

Last week, the Scottish Government announced that it did not intend to prioritise the vaccination of teachers and the EIS is calling for urgent reconsideration of this position.

In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “It seems short-sighted of the Scottish Government not to utilise the vaccination tool to ensure continuity of education – an action at odds with the political rhetoric about the importance of education to the lives of our young people.”

The letter continues, “Given the caring role that teachers and other education staff undertake, particularly Early Years, Primary and ASN staff, and the difficulties that there are in maintaining physical distance between staff and pupils in these contexts, in omitting to vaccinate teachers, the Scottish Government will have failed to take appropriate mitigating action of the kind that it has undertaken for other frontline care workers.”

The letter also calls on Government to “consider the impact of teacher absence on the education of young people.

In secondary schools, for example, staff absence over the next period through Covid related reasons could seriously impact on the SQA qualifications. On average staff absences in schools has been around 1,500 per week, at one stage last September peaking at over 2,500.

Clearly this is disruptive to education continuity especially for senior phase secondary pupils, already facing a tight timeline around accreditation processes.”

Calling for school staff to now be prioritised, the letter says, “Whilst the EIS very deliberately did not call for education staff priority within Phase 1 of the programme, as that was very clearly predicated on those most at risk of death, we believe there is scope within Phase 2 to take a different approach as 99% of that ‘at severe risk’ group will have been covered in the first phase.

“Within Phase 1 the Scottish Government chose to reorder the JCVI priorities to accommodate its own policy agenda with regard to care homes and we believe a similar approach should apply to schools.”

An online campaign calling for school staff to be vaccinated, launched on Friday by the EIS, attracted almost 5000 signatures over the weekend. 

Read a copy of the letters here.

Larry Flanagan recording.

Scottish Ambulance Service mobile vaccine team hits the road

A Scottish Ambulance Service vaccination car and specially adapted bus have been operating out of Stanley, Perthshire, this week to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations to residents, identified by NHS Tayside, who live in remote and rural areas.

Around 400 people are expected to be vaccinated via trained Scottish Ambulance Service staff operating out of an modified coach – offered and supplied free of charge by Lochs and Glens Holidays of Gartocharn – and a car which has been visiting homes. 

Since Wednesday (February 3), a team of five staff members from the Scottish Ambulance Service have been delivering the first dose of the Oxford vaccine – AstraZeneca – to people aged over 70 to 79 and also clinically vulnerable patients.

An Ambulance Service car staffed by a SAS trained vaccinator has also been visiting housebound patients’ homes in rural Perthshire to vaccinate them.

Scottish Ambulance Service Medical director Jim Ward said: “This is a great initiative in the fight against Covid-19. We have already vaccinated more than 5,000 of our own staff, Community First Responders and students, which has been a fantastic effort by everyone involved.

“The bus is essentially a mobile vaccination clinic that can access remote and rural Scotland, providing a sheltered place where people can come and get vaccinated in a safe environment by trained healthcare professionals. The car will allow people who cannot leave their homes to be vaccinated.

“We have received great feedback from the people who have been vaccinated on the bus and also by those who have been visited at their homes. We are very grateful to Lochs and Glens Holidays for providing the bus and look forward to working alongside other health boards and Scottish Government colleagues in developing the initiative and rolling it out to other areas of Scotland.”

The vaccination bus and car pilot aims to support Health Boards in their vaccination efforts and appointments are made via GP practices.

Dr Daniel Chandler, Associate Director of Public Health at NHS Tayside, said, “The vaccination programme is progressing well in Tayside with over 60,000 people already vaccinated across Dundee, Angus and Perth & Kinross.

“This mobile service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service will help provide extra capacity to support our GPs and community vaccination teams as we move into the next phase of the programme.”

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We appreciate all the offers of support as we roll-out the biggest vaccination programme ever undertaken in this country.

“I would urge everyone to take up their appointment when they are offered one. The vaccination programme is one of three key ways we are working to beat this virus, along with our expanded testing programme to identify cases and break chains of transmission and the important lockdown restrictions everyone in Scotland must follow. All these measures work to greatest effect when they work together.”

Neil Wells, Managing Director from Lochs and Glens Holidays, said: “It’s great to be able to help the Scottish Ambulance Service with their work to vaccinate our rural communities.”

Care provider completes vaccine roll out at Edinburgh care homes

A care provider which operates care homes across the country has completed its Covid-19 inoculation programme – with residents already talking about how their lives are set to be transformed.

Mansfield Care has successfully offered the vaccine to all of its frontline staff and residents, and have carried out the procedure to all those who have requested the vaccine.

Edinburgh homes Haugh House, Craighall House, Eildon House, and Belleville Lodge are among 11 care homes operated by Mansfield Care to have completed the vaccination programme.

Resident and journalist at Haugh House, Michael Fry, found the vaccine to have no physical impairment on him.

Michael said: “The vaccine had no physical effect on me, but made me happy in thinking I’ll be able to get out and about all the sooner. I have been in lockdown since March 2020, so I’m hoping the vaccine will let me get out again so I can see my family.”

85-year-old Craighall House resident, Jean McMillan, opted to take the vaccine to keep the infection rates down.

Jean said: “I received my first dose of vaccine on January 20. I didn’t feel a thing and felt fine afterwards. I decided to have the vaccine to help keep the rates down and because I have missed being able to see my daughter, Caroline and my great grandson Murray.”

Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Hume said: “It’s been a difficult year for everyone, so to have the vaccination programme fully completed with the full support of our staff and residents has been an incredible lift.

“Our philosophy that ‘small is key’ has been integral to keeping our residents and staff safe, while maintaining an optimal level of care throughout the pandemic.

“At this stage we cannot predict how the virus will mutate, and what impact that will have on our community, but we are determined to cover all bases and maintain the safety of everyone in our care homes.

“Again we would like to thank our incredible staff who have worked tirelessly over this turbulent period, and our residents for their continued diligence and patience.”

Mansfield Care has also implemented a regimented and rapid lateral flow testing process which swab tests staff two to three times per week and provides test results within 30 minutes, to ensure the safety of residents and staff alike.

In addition to its rigorous testing, the provider has also focused on creating new activities to combat the boredom and loneliness caused by social distancing and restrictions, including personalised activity boxes for residents and a creative conversation ball game designed specifically for residents with dementia.

Mansfield Care specialises in small, friendly, residential care homes across Edinburgh, Borders and West of Scotland, providing individualised care in state of the art facilities.

The Mansfield Care ethos is inspired by the kind of care many would wish for later in life – positive, empathetic, respectful and homely.

To find out more about Mansfield Care visit, https://www.mansfieldcare.co.uk/

Matt Hancock: “the fight against this virus isn’t over yet”

A door-to-door testing blitz is under way this morning in a bid to find and eliminate every case of the South African coronavirus variant in England.

On-the-spot doorstep tests, home testing kits and mobile testing units are being deployed to reach 80,000 people in eight specific neighbourhoods in an urgent effort to stop the spread of the South African strain.

Health Minister Matt Hancock told last night’s Coronavirus media briefing:

Good afternoon and welcome to Downing Street for today’s coronavirus briefing. And I’m joined by Professor Steve Powis, the Medical Director of NHS England. And Dr Susan Hopkins, who is the Chief Medical Advisor to Public Health England and to NHS Test and Trace.

I’ve got quite a lot of news to bring you up to speed on. Right at the start, I wanted to tell you where we are with our vaccine programme.

I’m so proud of the team, who’ve now vaccinated 9.2 million people across the UK, that includes 931,204 vaccinations just this weekend.

And to put that into context – that’s one in every 60 adults in the whole United Kingdom vaccinated in one single weekend. It’s a mammoth effort.

I know how much these jabs mean to people. And I’m so grateful for all the messages that we get, and all the pictures that I’m sent of people being vaccinated.

It fills me with pride that so many people are doing so much to help for this roll out to happen so smoothly and I want to say thanks to you all.

Care homes

Getting vaccinated is an emotional moment for so many people and that’s because it is about protecting those who are most vulnerable to COVID.

We’ve now vaccinated almost 9 in 10 of all over 80s in the UK and now, as of today, we’ve vaccinated over half of all people in their 70s.

And, I’m delighted that I can tell you we’ve visited every eligible care home with older residents in England, and offered vaccinations to all their residents and staff.

This has been an incredible example of health and social care working together, working side-by-side to protect people most in need.

As Professor Martin Green, the Chief Executive of Care England said today, this is a “wonderful achievement and one that is testament to the hard work of care home staff and our colleagues in the NHS and local authorities.”

And, I want to thank every single person who’s helped us to get this far.

Vaccine supply

I also want to let you know some good news on vaccine supply. Today we’ve ordered another 40 million vaccine doses from Valneva.

As we have all along, we’ve invested early and at risk, before we know for sure if it will come good because from the start, we’ve taken a no regrets attitude to backing vaccines. We’ve tried to leave nothing on the table.

If this gets regulatory approval, the Valneva vaccine, like many others, will be made right here in the UK.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is made in Oxford, and Staffordshire, and Wrexham. The Novovax vaccine is being manufactured on Teesside. And if approved, this Valneva vaccine will be manufactured in Livingston, in Scotland.

We didn’t start this pandemic with a large-scale on-shore vaccine manufacturing capability, so we’re building one, all across the United Kingdom.

The vaccine programme just goes to show how important it is to have the UK working as one, together.

International

We now have over 400 million doses of vaccines on order. This is obviously more than the UK population needs. And my attitude has always been we protect every UK citizen as fast as we can. And at the same time, we’re generous around the world.

I want to say this to our international partners. Of course, I’m delighted about how well this is going at home. But I believe fundamentally that the vaccine roll out is a global effort.

One of the many reasons that I’m so happy with the AstraZenenca contract is that it not just that it gives us a strong supply here but because it is the only vaccine being deployed that’s available to the whole world at cost.

And because it’s logistically straightforward, it can be practically deployed in the poorest parts of the world too.

So, we will protect UK supply and we’ll play our part to ensure the whole world can get the jab.

New variants

Another area where we’re helping around the world is in spotting new variants.

Our global leadership in genomic sequencing has helped us to spot new variants here in the UK, and quickly alert the rest of the world. But there are other countries that don’t have the capacity they need.

Last week, we offered our capacity and expertise to other nations through our New Variant Assessment Platform, because a mutation in one part of the world is a threat to people everywhere.

For example, our South African colleagues spotted a new variant through their high quality genomic sequencing and rightly notified the world, as we did with the variant that we discovered here in the UK.

We’ve now identified 105 cases of this variant here. Eleven of those cases don’t appear to have any links to international travel.

There’s currently no evidence to suggest this variant is any more severe, but we need to come down on it hard and we will. We’ve already made sure that all these cases are isolating and that we’ve done enhanced contact tracing of all of their close contacts.

We are surging extra testing into the areas where this variant has been found and sequencing every single positive case.

Working with local authorities, we are going door-to-door to test people in the local area. These cases have been identified in the following postcodes:

  • W7, N17, CR4, WS2, ME15, EN10, GU21, and PR9

If you live in one of these postcodes where we’re sending in enhanced testing, then it’s imperative that you stay at home. And that you get a test, even if you don’t have symptoms.

This is so important so that we can break the chains of transmission of this new variant. And we’ve got to bring this virus to heel.

So there’s lots of good news, but this is a stark reminder that the fight against this virus isn’t over yet.

Every day, we’re protecting more people and getting ourselves one step closer to normal life. But this is no time to let things slip. So let’s, all of us, do what we must to get this virus under control.

JVT: Hardship, but also hope

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam highlights the importance of continuing to follow the guidance, even after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination

Next Saturday will mark the first anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and next Sunday will be one year on from the first case of COVID-19 detected in the UK. It has been a terrible year as the virus has spread across the world causing misery, hardship, death and severely disrupting all of our lives.

The silver lining has been the incredible work of scientists and healthcare professionals across the world. If you had told me 12 months ago, that the UK would have discovered, in dexamethasone, the first treatment proven to reduce COVID-19 deaths, and vaccinated over 5 million people by this point, I would have been astonished. But that is the place in which we find ourselves. Hardship, but also hope.

Many people have played an important role in getting vaccines in arms, including the teams of researchers behind the development of the vaccines, the volunteers who took part in clinical trials, the Vaccines Taskforce who ensured we had supply of vaccine and the NHS staff and volunteers who are now working hard to administer them to people quickly and safely.

Their work has been incredible and we should rightly celebrate this.

Vaccines do offer the way out of the pandemic and a return to life as we knew it – having a pint before watching your local football team, multigenerational family gatherings and big weddings. These really will return! But to make that happen as quickly as possible we need to bring the number of cases down as soon as we can whilst we vaccinate our most vulnerable. To do that there are some important scientific points I want to highlight:

No vaccine has ever been 100% effective so no-one will have 100% protection from the virus. The way to reduce everyone’s risk is to break the chains of transmission and really push down the number of cases.

Vaccines work by tricking your body into thinking it has to fight the virus. It trains you for this fight by making antibodies and stimulating T-cells; then you are ready if you do come across the real thing. However, like any training, getting up to ‘match fitness’ takes time. Your body’s response, the immune response, is only fully trained up around 2 or 3 weeks after you have each of your 2 jabs. If you are older it’s better to allow at least 3 weeks. You can still get COVID in this time.

Even better and longer lasting protection then comes from the second dose so it is really important that everyone gets the second jab.

Really importantly we do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission of the virus. So even after you have had both doses of the vaccine you may still give COVID to someone else and the chains of transmission will then continue. If you change your behaviour you could still be spreading the virus, keeping the number of cases high and putting others at risk who also need their vaccine but are further down the queue.

We still have a very high number of hospitalisations and deaths. A quarter of hospital admissions for COVID-19 are in people under the age of 55. Despite the speed of the rollout, these are people who will not have the vaccine for a while yet.

Some people are questioning the UK policy of trying to give as many at-risk people as possible the first dose of vaccine in the shortest possible time, inevitably extending the interval before the second dose is given.

But what none of these (who ask reasonable questions) will tell me is: who on the at-risk list should suffer slower access to their first dose so that someone else who’s already had one dose (and therefore most of the protection) can get a second? Everyone on the JCVI priority list is at risk from this nasty virus, and vaccines just can’t be produced at an unlimited rate.

It has been a very difficult year for us all and everyone, including me, is desperate to return to seeing the people we love. The vaccine has brought considerable hope and we are in the final furlough of the pandemic but for now, vaccinated or not, we still have to follow the guidance for a bit longer.