The body representing the different organisations that make up the NHS in Wales has said vaccinating the population against coronavirus is still a huge undertaking – despite the approval of the Oxford vaccine.
Developed by the University of Oxford and drug firm AstraZeneca, the vaccine was today approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Darren Hughes, Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation said: “This is tremendous news and offers a further lifeline to those who are susceptible to the virus. It’s also welcomed at all levels of the NHS in Wales as we can increasingly look towards a service which isn’t under so much pressure.
“The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine makes the logistical challenge of mass vaccination significantly easier due to its storage requirements. However, we must not underestimate this is still going to be a huge undertaking and it is not going to happen overnight. The NHS in Wales is already using a significant amount of resource to make sure people can get easy access to vaccines in a safe and effective way.”
“Not an instant fix”
Wales’ Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “We understand there are high expectations and excitement at the arrival of a second vaccine. However it will take time to reach everyone as this is not an instant fix. We won’t receive all the doses at once and we have to be realistic about the scale and pace of delivery when we are vaccinating the entire adult population.
“We will not see the impact of the vaccine for some months and the pressure on the NHS will continue during this winter. It is essential that we all continue to play our part and do the right thing to protect each other.”
Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for Health, Rhun ap Iorwerth MS, called for assurances from the Welsh Government for the effective roll-out of the vaccine.
He said: “The right infrastructure must be in place for a rapid-roll out, especially to the most vulnerable.
“Wales has been behind every other UK nation in terms of numbers vaccinated, and this needs to be addressed with urgency.”
The different vaccines
The UK Government has procured vaccines on behalf of the four nations and around 100m of these are of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with Wales receiving its allocation based on population over the next weeks and months. Two doses will be needed, with an interval of between four and 12 weeks between doses.
At the beginning of December, the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was the first to receive MHRA approval in the UK. Forty million doses of the vaccine have been made available for delivery across the UK.
Based on a UK-wide priority system, the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine has already begun to be administered to frontline health and social care staff, as well as care home residents and staff and people aged over 80. Latest figures show that in the first two weeks, 22,000 people were vaccinated – expected to be over 30,000 now.
Unlike the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is stored at normal vaccine fridge temperatures. This means it will have few storage and transportation issues, making it much easier to use in community settings such as care homes and primary care settings like GP surgeries.
People are asked not to phone their GP, pharmacy or hospital asking when they will get a vaccine. When someone is in one of the groups eligible for the vaccine, they will be invited to attend a dedicated clinic which will have been set up to ensure patient safety and that of the healthcare professionals.