THE rollout of coronavirus vaccinations is underway, but there are currently no doses in Herefordshire.
The UK-approved Pfizer-BioNTech jab will be arriving in parts of Herefordshire next week, a GP from Tenbury has said, with sites across the county being used as vaccinations centres.
Where will vaccinations be given?
Herefordshire has five primary care networks, which are groups of GP surgeries.
In each of these primary care networks there will be one vaccination site, or the NHS says in exceptional circumstances there may be two.
In north Herefordshire, patients at surgeries in Tenbury, Kington, Weobley, Kingsland and Leominster surgeries will be asked to go to Bridge Street Sports Centre in Leominster.
Stephen Andrews, practice manager at the GP surgery in Tenbury, said that people would be contacted either by text or letter and invited to attend the centre for a jab.
For those in the east of the county at surgeries in Ledbury, Bromyard, Colwall and Cradley, the vaccination hub will be at the Community Hall in Ledbury.
Practice manager at Nunwell Surgery Vanessa Hargest said: "Currently only one site within each primary care network is allowed due to the challenges around supplying the vaccine as you will be aware from the national news and thus far one site has been approved in our PCN at Ledbury in the Community Hall.
"Our hope is that as further sites are allowed, we will get one in Bromyard approved as soon as possible.
"We are only allowed to vaccinate as prescribed by the centralised Government priority list and we have no control over delivery times.
"We are uncertain as to when we can expect the first deliveries of vaccine to be able to start the clinics."
In Hereford, it's understood Saxon Hall in Putson is understood to be a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
It's not yet known where the site in south and west Herefordshire will be, but GPs in the area are said to be "raring to get on with it" and hope to get as many as possible done before Christmas.
Across England, the 1,250 primary care networks have been asked to designate a single practice to administer vaccines in their area which would be capable of delivering vaccines from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, and on bank holidays if needed.
Vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres across England will also be mobilised when further supplies come on stream.
When will vaccinations start in Herefordshire?
Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said primary care networks will get vaccines next week.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.
The vaccine boxes containing 975 doses will need to be split so they can be taken to care homes.
Mr Hopson said this will get going in about a week and will be led by primary care networks.
NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said he was confident vaccinations will be offered in care homes “well before Christmas”.
A source close to the NHS in Herefordshire said everything is very fast-moving and plans change daily.
In a letter sent out across England’s primary care networks, NHS England and NHS Improvement said GP-led vaccination centres would start administering doses from December 14.
The letter said centres would be set up with the necessary IT equipment and a fridge, while staff would be given training to ensure they are ready to administer 975 doses of the vaccine to priority patients within three-and-a-half days of delivery.
When will I get vaccinated?
The plan is that front line health workers will be the first to get the vaccine along with those who are most vulnerable with people aged 85 and over in the first tranche.
Stephen Andrews, practice manager at the GP surgery in Tenbury, said that people would be contacted either by text or letter and invited to attend a centre for an inoculation.
“It is not a case of just turning up without an appointment,” said Mr Andrews.
People who get the virus vaccine first will get the one that has been developed by Pfizer/BioNTech. This vaccine has to be stored at minus 70 degrees and so presents significant challenges.
The vaccines will not be given to pregnant women or children.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be given in two doses 21 days apart. In order to have full protection it will be necessary to have two doses.
People will be contacted when it's time for their vaccination.
Who is top of the list to get a coronavirus vaccine?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has examined data on who suffers the worst outcomes from coronavirus and who is at highest risk of death.
But who will get a jab could depend on how easily one can be rolled out, with the Pfizer jab needing storage temperatures of minus 70C to minus 80C.
For now, the JCVI’s interim guidance says the order of priority should be:
- Older adults in a care home and care home workers.
- All those who are 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers
- All those who are 75 years of age and over
- All those who are 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals, excluding pregnant women and those under 18 years of age
- All those who are 65 years of age and over
- Adults aged 18 to 65 years in an at-risk group
- All those aged 60 and over
- All those aged 55 and over
- All those aged 50 and over
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