Following the news that Pfizer have created a Covid-19 vaccine with 90% efficacy, the UK government has ordered enough to immunise one-third of the population.
Certain parts of the population will be prioritised over others, with the majority required to wait until 2021 to get their jab, however some will hopefully receive it prior to Christmas.
Who will get the vaccine first?
The government has listed the order in which various sections of society will be given the vaccine, with the oldest and most vulnerable prioritised.
The oldest residents and workers in care homes will be prioritised before anyone else, with the over 80s and health and social care workers next in line.
People will then be immunised by age, as the government work through each age group, five years at a time down to 65.
Vulnerable persons under the age of 65 will be next to be covered, followed by those with moderate health risks.
After that, the process will work through those down to the age of 50 in a decremental fashion, processing five years at a time.
Once all these sections of the British population are vaccinated, the rest will be worked through.
The vaccinations will be carried out in care homes, GP surgeries and pharmacies, however there are logistical hurdles to clear, such as working out how to store the doses at the required -80C.
When can I get it?
There is no specific timeframe for the vaccination process to be carried out but Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jonathan Van Tam said on Monday it is hoped inoculations can begin before Christmas.
Of the 40 million doses ordered, it is thought 10 million could arrive in the country before the end of the year to be provided to the oldest and most vulnerable.
People will be required to receive two doses 21 days apart for immunisation.
Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Association’s GP committee in England, said practices would “stand ready” to deliver a vaccine, with clinics potentially running from 8am-8pm, seven days a week.I
