Following the fantastic news that the MHRA approved the Pfizer/BioNTech, the UK’s vaccination programme has begun rolling out to protect the most vulnerable against Covid-19 and finally offer us real hope of overcoming this virus. This is the largest vaccination programme we have ever seen and on a scale we have never seen, with vaccines being distributed across hundreds of sites around the country, including 60 hospital hubs already with Bath’s RUH and Swindon’s GWH being two of them.
Given both the RUH and GWH are part of this first set of hospital hubs to receive the vaccine, it is important to note their advice that you will be contacted by the NHS directly when they are able to offer you a vaccination. This means you do not have to contact your GP or the actual hospital, they will contact you. People aged 80 and over, as well as care home staff and frontline NHS workers most at risk, will be the first to be offered the vaccine which comes in two doses, 21 days apart. Our local Director of Nursing and Quality has also advised that if you have been offered an appointment but are unable to attend at that time or day, let the team know immediately and they can reschedule for you.
I know our local NHS services have been working incredibly hard and this vaccine programme will be the culmination of a monumental logistical, scientific and medical effort which will be ongoing for the months ahead. Tens of thousands of people have already had their first jabs and constituents in the priority groups will continue to be contacted first so we can make sure those most at risk to this virus are protected.
