Tag: vaccine rollout

Freedom … with a warning

The Prime Minister will host a press conference this afternoon (Monday 12th July) to confirm whether England can move to step 4 of the Roadmap.

Step 4 is expected to begin next Monday – so-called ‘Freedom Day’ (19th July) – if the UK government’s “four tests” for easing Covid restrictions in England have been met.

The Health and Social Care Secretary will announce the plans to parliament.

England’s four tests are:

  • The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
  • Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated
  • Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
  • Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern

The Prime Minister is expected to urge the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution, praising the efforts of the country for the progress made so far while warning that the pandemic is not over and that caution will be key in the coming weeks.

The latest data will be presented, with current modelling suggesting that Covid cases will continue to rise as restrictions are eased. Hospitalisations, serious illness and deaths will also continue, albeit at a much lower level than before the vaccination programme.

As of 10th July, a total of 80.3 million vaccine doses have been administered in the UK, with 45.7 million adults receiving a first dose (86.9%) and 34.5 million adults receiving both doses (65.6%).

The move to step 4 was delayed by up to four weeks so every adult could be offered a vaccine. 6.8 million first and second doses have already been administered in England during the delay so far.

The delay has also moved the probable end of restrictions to a point closer to the school summer holidays in England, when transmission is expected to be lower. Reopening at a point later in the year may increase pressure on the NHS because of winter illnesses such as flu

Analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 8.5 million infections and 30,000 deaths in England alone.

Wherever you live, it is vital that people keep coming forward to get both jabs when called, with data from PHE showing COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta variant.

The analysis suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after two doses.

The vaccination rollout will continue to accelerate by bringing forward second doses for under 40s to eight weeks – meaning the entire population will benefit from maximum protection more quickly.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We are tantalisingly close to the final milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but the plan to restore our freedoms must come with a warning.

“While the phenomenal vaccine rollout has offered every adult some protection against the virus, and the crucial link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths is weakened, the global pandemic is not over yet.

“Cases will rise as we unlock, so as we confirm our plans today, our message will be clear. Caution is absolutely vital, and we must all take responsibility so we don’t undo our progress, ensuring we continue to protect our NHS.”

The Scottish Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the latest situation in Scotland and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update parliament on our next steps in the afternoon.

Possible delay to vaccine rollout in Edinburgh?

A Conservative MSP has expressed concerns over a possible delay to vaccine rollout in Edinburgh.

Lothians MSP Miles Briggs was reacting to a news story that appeared in the Daily Mail group’s i newspaper yesterday, which quoted a Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership (EHSCP) email sent to GPs on Friday (8th January) which said supplies of the vaccine are not expected to ‘become reliable’ until 25 January.

Part of the email reads: “Our best understanding is that the supply will increase and become more reliable and proportionate to practice numbers from week beginning 25th January, so a couple more weeks of frustration during which some 80+ patients will be getting the vaccination whilst others have to wait longer.”

EHSCP also suggested that mass vaccination centres may not become operational until the middle of February, partly due to delays with creating a national booking system for patients.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “This is hugely concerning, SNP Ministers need to get their act together and sort the logistics to deliver the vaccine rollout.

‘The vaccine is our key weapon against this virus, we urgently need to see SNP Ministers accelerate plans and focus on rapid effective vaccine delivery.”

EHSCP have not responded to the news story but the Scottish Government says the email contains ‘inaccuracies’ and that EHSCP will be issuing a correction.

Genuine concerns or political point-scoring? We’ll see – Ed.

New app to support Covid vaccine rollout

A new app for health and care home staff carrying out coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations will provide rapid access to relevant patient information and collect data on how many people have received the vaccination.   

The ‘Vaccination Management Tool’ was developed in response to the pandemic and, because it functions on PCs, tablets and iphones, can be used in any setting where the vaccine is being administered.

The tool means vaccinators can immediately see whether it is an individual’s first or second dose and which vaccine has been administered – which will be crucial as more become available.

It also means data can be sent to GP systems and, in time the information collected on the app will help demonstrate how effective each vaccine is by linking with testing data.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The development of this tool has been a significant collaborative effort involving both clinicians and technical staff and I would like to thank all those involved.

“Clearly we welcome anything which simplifies the process for vaccinators and having this app which can be used wherever they are working will be invaluable, allowing them to quickly access all relevant information on site.”

NHS Education for Scotland Chief Executive Stewart Irvine said: “Delivering a national vaccine programme is a huge undertaking.

“We are trying to make things as easy to use as possible for the staff who have to manage these large numbers of people. That’s in terms of planning their workflows, being able to work flexibly in all kinds of locations, and in providing a steady stream of data to help national planners.

“With tools like these, we are building integrated systems which remove additional burdens from hard-pressed health and care staff – allowing them to do what they do best.”

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde trialled the app for the winter flu programme. Immunisation Programme Manager Scott Hanley  said: “We’re pleased to have helped test and feed-back on the app. Having all the individual’s information in one place and not having to use paper saved so much time for our staff.

“The fact that it is web-based also gives much more flexibility in who can use it – which gives us greater flexibility. And using a mobile tablet will help ensure patients are processed quicker on arrival at sites and will reduce the possibility of queues building up.”

The Vaccine Management Tool was developed by NHS Education for Scotland in partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Fife, NHS National Services Scotland and Public Health Scotland.

It was piloted in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian to assist with the winter flu vaccination programme and is now being used across Scotland to assist with the COVID-19 vaccination programme.