Vaccine Release

Dec 02, 2020 NHS Medications

With the hopes of a Vaccine being announced what does this mean for the public?

This morning it was announced that the regulatory body in the UK – MHRA short for Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved the use of a COVID-19 vaccine. Britain has become the first country in the world to license a COVID vaccine, setting an example for the rest of the world. The vaccine in question which has been approved for use is manufactured by the American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and a German company BioNTech and goes by the name BNT162b2.

In clinical trials the vaccine in question has shown 95% efficacy. This means that out of the people who get the vaccine 95% of them will be effectively immune against the COVID-19 virus. The rollout of the vaccines is said to reach hospitals by the coming Monday. 40 million doses of these vaccines have been ordered and this is enough to vaccinate 20 million people. This is because the vaccine has to be delivered in two separate doses, the first dose and then a second booster dose.

Initially it has been said that the first to receive the vaccine are people in hospitals due to the vaccine requiring a -70c temperature for storage. 800,000 vaccine are expected to reach hospitals by Monday with vaccinations to start thereafter. The elderly in care homes and care home staff are to be at the top of the list when it comes to priority followed by those aged over 80 and the rest of the health care staff.

The vaccine rollout will continue into next year with other vaccines such as the Astra Zeneca/ Oxford vaccine also due to be ready in 2021. The next few months ahead will be interesting but certainly pave a bright and COVID- free future for 2021.

B.V. DEC 20