COVID-19 vaccinations have entered their second week in the UK and are starting to be rolled out to more locations, including care homes.
Due to various logistical challenges in rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, including ensuring it is stored at -70°C, there have been some delays in rolling out the vaccine to care homes. However, vaccinations have now begun in care homes in Scotland, following confirmation that the vaccine can be ‘packed down’ into smaller sizes.
A pilot for the roll-out of the vaccine to Welsh care homes is to begin on Wednesday (16 December), following discussions between the Welsh Government, the vaccine’s manufacturer and the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). At first, just one care home in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board will receive the vaccine, before the roll-out to further locations in Wales from later this week.
Today, patients will start receiving the vaccine at GP surgeries in England, following the initial rollout starting in hospitals last week.
By Tuesday, vaccines are to be delivered to GP practices and community hubs in more than 100 locations in England, with some starting to vaccinate people as early as this afternoon. Every part of the country will be covered by a vaccination centre and more centres are to be set up in the new year.
Those aged 80 and over, as well as care home residents and staff and healthcare workers, are first in line to receive the vaccine.
Since its approval in the UK, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has also been approved in Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
