‘It’s brilliant – an amazing collaboration’

At the University of Southampton, Professor Saul Faust has been focusing on delivering Covid vaccine trials and managing trials treatments and diagnostic tests across the Wessex region. All vaccines available in the UK have been rigorously tested, and Professor Faust – director of the National Institute for Health Research’s Clinical Research Facility – has been instrumental in making sure that happens safely. Now he’s proud to see the vaccine being rolled out. “It’s been brilliant – an amazing collaboration across the research and NHS networks,” he says. “Without the vaccine and NHS deployment, we will not be able to prevent further waves and impact that would have on the NHS. “Even if the infection becomes an endemic condition like flu, the vaccine will stop people dying, and stop most people becoming so ill they have to go to hospital.” So what would he say to people who are worried about getting the vaccine? “Please look around at how successful this has been so far, without lots of side effects. Hopefully this will give people confidence to take the vaccine when offered,” he says. “When it comes to the time between doses, many vaccines involve longer delays between doses that often provide better immunity in the longer term. “The vaccination programme is being rolled out in the way that is best for the UK population, and to try to ease pressure on the NHS and stop people dying. The scientific data is robust. It is better to give one dose to more people and then top it up. This is not a political decision; it is a scientific one based on robust data so far.”