PLEASE READ: If you are 70 or older, living in England and have not had your first vaccine jab yet, please contact the NHS. This can be done online or by dialling 119.
January Updates
On 4th January 2021, the Government began to roll out the second vaccine approved by regulators, and developed in the UK by Oxford University / AstraZeneca.
We have reached a pivotal moment in our fight against coronavirus, but the availability of a second vaccine provides renewed assurance that the end of the pandemic is in sight. From the 4th January, the NHS began administering the first doses of the Oxford University / AstraZeneca vaccine alongside the Pfizer vaccine, as part of our national effort that has already seen more people inoculated in the UK than the rest of Europe put together.
The Government have ensured the UK has early access to vaccines:
- Securing access to 357 million vaccine doses through agreements with seven separate vaccine developers – giving the UK the best shot of having early access to a vaccine when one is found to be safe and effective. This includes 100 million doses of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, 40 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, 7 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, 60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, 60 million doses of the Valneva vaccine, 60 million doses of the GSK/Sanofi Pasteur vaccine and 30 million doses of the Janssen vaccine.
- Investing more than £230 million into manufacturing any successful vaccine. An enormous amount of planning and preparation has also taken place across Government to be able to quickly roll out a vaccine, including ensuring we have adequate provision, transport, PPE and logistical expertise to do so.
- Establishing the Vaccine Taskforce to ensure the UK has access to safe and effective vaccines as soon as possible. The Taskforce supports efforts to rapidly develop a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible by providing industry and research institutions with the resources and support needed. This includes reviewing regulations and scaling up manufacturing, so that when a vaccine becomes available, it can be produced quickly and in mass quantities.
- Making it easier to rollout vaccines across the country. We have introduced new laws that allow more healthcare workers to administer both flu and potential Covid-19 vaccines. Thanks to these changes, independent nurses, allied healthcare professionals, paramedics and pharmacists are now able to undergo robust training and be allowed to administer a vaccine.
- Providing record funding to fund a coronavirus vaccine. In March, the Prime Minister announced £210 million of new UK aid funding to help find a vaccine for coronavirus – the latest single contribution by any country. The funding is helping scientists and researchers continue to lead global efforts to develop a workable coronavirus vaccine, including at the University of Oxford.6
- Providing up to £93 million to open the UK’s first dedicated Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre 12 months early. We are working to open the centre in summer 2021 – a full 12 months ahead of schedule. It will ensure that a vaccine can be produced quickly and in mass quantities. While the centre is being built, we are establishing a rapid deployment facility, backed by £38 million to begin manufacturing at scale and supporting efforts to ensure a vaccine is widely available to the public as soon as possible.
- Securing a major commitment from social media companies to tackle vaccine disinformation. Following meetings with the Government, Facebook, Twitter and Google committed to the principle that no company should profit from or promote Covid-19 anti-vaccine disinformation, to respond to flagged content more swiftly, and to work with authorities to promote scientifically accurate messages.
On the 11th January, the Government published their Covid-19 Vaccine Delivery Plan which details how the UK government was able to build up a supply of vaccines and how it is planning to deploy them. The Plan sets out how the Government will work with the NHS, devolved administrations, local councils and the armed forces to deliver the largest vaccination programme in British history.
It is important to stress that we have a clear exit strategy, which will allow us to return to normal life. Thanks to a truly worldwide scientific effort, we are now rolling out the biggest vaccination programme in our history. With the approval our own Oxford vaccine, the pace of vaccination can increase further.
February Updates
As of the 16th February: We have now offered a vaccine to everyone in the top four priority groups as we move towards vaccinating the next two priority groups. In less than 10 weeks we have vaccinated 15 million people – that is one in every four adults.
- All care home residents and staff, health and social care workers, people aged 70 and over, and the clinically extremely vulnerable have now been offered a vaccine. These groups account for 88 per cent of deaths from coronavirus, meaning potentially tens of thousands of lives will be saved.
- Our vaccination programme has accelerated with nearly 1,000 vaccines being administered a minute at one point and a record 598,389 first doses delivered in one day on 31 January.
- The next million letters are landing on people’s mats right now as we move towards offering vaccines to the next two priority groups – the over-65s and all those with underlying health conditions who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
- We aim to offer a vaccine to all priority cohorts 1 to 9 by May and all adults by September.
- As large numbers of people from at risk groups are vaccinated, we will be able to gather the evidence to prove the impact on infection rates, hospitalisation and reduced deaths. If successful, this should in time lead to a reassessment of current restrictions. Until then it is essential that everyone continues to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.
The level of infection remains very high, with more people still in hospital today than at the peak last April and admissions running at 1,600 a day. And although we have vaccinated more than 90 per cent of those aged over 70, 60 per cent of hospital patients with Covid are under 70 and we still don’t have enough data about the exact effectiveness of the vaccines in reducing the spread of infection.
Next week, the Prime Minister will be setting out a roadmap saying as much as he possibly can about the route back to normality. We want this lockdown to be the last – and we want progress to be cautious but also irreversible which is why it is so important that everyone continues to follow the rules.
On a local level, the NHS in Essex launched a new website this week, giving residents the latest information and advice on the local COVID-19 vaccination programme - read more here.
PLEASE READ: If you are 70 or older, living in England and have not had your first vaccine jab yet, please contact the NHS. This can be done online or by dialling 119.
The Government now aim to offer a first dose to all those in groups 5 to 9 by 15th April and to offer a first dose to every adult by the end of July.
All the latest information on the local vaccination programme can be found here - the information details the location of vaccination sites, GP vaccination sites, and details on how the vaccine is administered.
The latest official UK Government data and insights can be found here.
Further information also available here.
Additional information to further support constituents will be updated regularly here
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why have you changed the dosage schedule?
The four UK Chief Medical Officers agree with Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice that prioritising the first doses of vaccine for as many people as possible on the priority list will protect the greatest number of at-risk people overall in the shortest possible time. The decision we have taken will literally double the number of people who are protected over the next few crucial months. Everyone will still receive a second dose within 12 weeks of their first.
The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine may be given between 3 to 12 weeks following the first dose, and that the second dose of the AstraZeneca (Oxford) vaccine may be given between 4 to 12 weeks following the first dose. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) also clarified that for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the interval between doses must be at least 3 weeks. For both the AstraZeneca (Oxford) and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, data provided to MHRA demonstrate that while efficacy is optimised when a second dose is administered, both offer considerable protection after a single dose, at least in the short term.
Q: Who gets the vaccine when?
Phase One
The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age. The order of priority for each group in the population corresponds with data on the number of individuals who would need to be vaccinated to prevent one death, estimated from UK data obtained from March to June 2020:
- residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
- all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
- all those 75 years of age and over
- all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
It is estimated that taken together, these groups represent around 99% of preventable mortality from COVID-19.
Phase Two
The Committee is currently of the view that the key focus for the second phase of vaccination could be on further preventing hospitalisation.
Vaccination of those at increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 due to their occupation could also be a priority in the next phase. This could include first responders, the military, those involved in the justice system, teachers, transport workers, and public servants essential to the pandemic response. Priority occupations for vaccination are considered an issue of policy, rather than for JCVI to advise on. JCVI asks that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other government departments.
Q: How do I book a vaccine?
You can only book a vaccine if you have received a letter inviting you to book your vaccination appointments, then you can use the following service. If you do not have access to the internet, then call 119 if you’re in England, Wales or Northern Ireland or 0300 303 2713 if you’re in Scotland. Lines are open 7am to11pm.
The Government are introducing a National Booking Service to helping make the process of booking and accessing an appointment easier for those offered a vaccine in the coming days, weeks and months ahead.
Q: How will older people be contacted about the vaccine?
Last week saw the vaccine roll out gathering pace, which is exciting news for those receiving the vaccine and provides some much-needed positive news for the rest of us. Local Age UKs have reported that they are receiving calls from older people who are worried about how they will receive their vaccine and whether they have to travel to a mass vaccine centre which may be challenging for some of them.
Age UK have written a useful blog on what communications older people should expect to receive from the NHS, what choices they have on where to receive their vaccine and how to spot a scam. The blog includes:
- Which vaccine will I get?
- Where will I get the vaccine?
- How will I be contacted?
- Things to watch out for
With misinformation in the public domain, it is important that older people can find information from accessible and trustworthy sources. Age UK have a useful coronavirus guidance hub which includes frequently asked questions about the vaccine.
Q: What about the new variant and its effects on elderly people?
News of the new coronavirus variant is understandably very worrying. To help older people understand what this all means and how it’s affecting the vaccine roll out Age UK have produced a helpful blog to answer some basic questions.
Q: How will those who are housebound be vaccinated?
Housebound vaccinations have now started and are being delivered via the GP lead vaccination services. Residents will be contacted prior to a clinician attending their home. Residents are advised not to let any unauthorised persons into their home without prior knowledge.
