20,000 will receive first vaccine batch
AROUND 20,000 people in Wales will be given a Pfizer vaccine in the first batch of deliveries, the Health Minister has confirmed.
Vaughan Gething said there are initially 800,000 vaccines coming to the UK, of which Wales gets a population share of just under 40,000.
As two shots are required, this means that 20,000 people will be able to have the vaccine in the first delivery to Wales, which will be spread evenly across the country.
Mr Gething added that the target was to start administering the jabs on Tuesday of next week.
But vaccinating elderly residents against Covid-19 in more than 1,000 care homes across Wales presents challenges that are difficult to overcome, as Mr Gething said problems with the transportation and storage of the Pfizer vaccine – as it needs to be kept below -70C (-94F) – meant it would be difficult to vaccinate vulnerable care home residents.
He said that when the Oxford vaccine was approved for use, it would be a better option as it could be more easily stored.
Mr Gething told the Senedd: “Because of the particular characteristics of the Pfizer vaccine, we don’t think we’re going to be able to safely take it to care homes.
“Some care home residents therefore won’t be within the first few weeks of delivery of that vaccine.”
Wales’ chief medical officer, Dr Frank Atherton, said the vaccine rollout would be “a massive undertaking” and would not happen overnight.
He said it would be “well into next year” before everyone in the population was given the chance to be vaccinated.
VACCINATION against Covid-19 will begin early next week in Wales, with first-wave injections for an estimated 20,000 people.
The move comes after the UK became the first country in the world to approve a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech.
The Welsh Government said the target was to start administering the injections on Tuesday, after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) yesterday approved the vaccine.
The vaccine is the first to receive MHRA clearance in the UK, which has ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine. Wales will be receiving its initial 40,000 allocation based on population. The injections have to be given in two stages.
Approval from the MHRA is the first step of Wales’ roll-out plan, which has been prepared since May.
There are still a number of stages required before people begin to receive the jabs but this process is expected to happen over the next week, the Welsh Government said.
Stages include the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) publishing its guidance, training materials for staff and information leaflets for patients being finalised, and immunisers being trained.
The vaccine will be administered in two doses.
Two specialist sites have been identified as appropriate delivery centres for the vaccine, which must be stored at around -75C.
Health boards will then collect the vaccines directly from the two sites.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething, who confirmed the vaccines were being manufactured in Belgium, said: “We will get a guaranteed percentage share of any supply into the UK. We then expect more vaccines to be delivered in December.
“We haven’t had exact figures yet but the indication is that there will be several million within December.
“But as there are 60 million people in the UK [the first batch] won’t provide effective population coverage.”
He said the Welsh Government had been exploring “suitable options for initial deployment of this vaccine”.
Scientists are also working to overcome the challenge of vaccinating care home residents.
“In practical terms at this stage that we cannot deliver this vaccine to care homes,” Mr Gething said.
Mr Gething added all NHS organisations in Wales had undertaken simulation exercises to test the country’s distribution and storage arrangements.
On November 26, the end-to-end logistics for the Pfizer vaccine from ultra-low-temperature central storage to receipt by the end user was tested across the country, he confirmed.
This followed an initial test on November 12.
Mr Gething said all key stakeholders from the seven health boards, along with partners and key pharmacy leads, took part in the exercise.
“Cold chain maintenance was maintained throughout the distribution exercise with no temperature excursions or delays,” Mr Gething said.
“All deliveries were received at the correct locations and receipt of deliveries recorded electronically on the Welsh Immunisation System.
“Wales is ready to deploy the vaccine in phases, starting with hospital sites and then community settings.”
People in Wales will be sent automatic appointments detailing the location where they will receive the vaccination.
The Welsh Government urged people to wait to be invited instead of asking their pharmacist or doctor.
It stressed that the vaccine will not be mandatory and people would be able to choose whether they take it or not, with information provided before vaccination. Those receiving the vaccine will be given a credit card-size NHS Wales immunisation card, which will have the vaccine name, date of immunisation and batch number of each of the doses given written on it.
These will act as a reminder for the second dose and for the type of vaccine, as well as giving information on how to report side-effects.
Dr Frank Atherton, chief medical officer for Wales, said the tests on distribution and storage arrangement ensured the vaccine would get “safely to every part” of the country.
“There’s still a few stages we need to work through but once all these safeguards are in place, vaccination can begin,” Dr Atherton said.
“There will only be relatively small amounts of the vaccine at first, those who have been advised as most needing the vaccine first, through approved delivery mechanisms.
“A full announcement around the timetable for roll-out in Wales will follow in the next few days.”
But despite the vaccine plans Dr Atherton warned it is still going to be a “very difficult winter” and urged people to continue to follow social distancing, hand hygiene, and other rules to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Dr Gillian Richardson, co-chairman of the Covid-19 vaccine programme board, said: “We will be vaccinating people who are most at risk of catching coronavirus and developing serious illnesses first based on the recommendations from the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations.
“The first groups to be offered the vaccine will be people living and working in care homes, people aged 80 and over, and all frontline NHS and social care workers.
“We’ll then offer it to other age groups and those at highest clinical risk.”
She said all health boards have mass vaccination sites earmarked for use and that distribution mechanisms are being finalised “as we speak”.
“It’s a vaccine that will arrive this side of Christmas and it will be administered as soon as we receive it in Wales,” she added.
“I cannot give you exact figures but it will be in large quantities. Once we start vaccinating we will be going at quite a pace. As long as supplies continue we will deploy them in a way that keeps pace with delivery.”
First Minister Mark Drakeford said yesterday: “Today’s news is a small glimmer of light at the end of what has been a long and dark tunnel.
“We know some people are much more at risk than others from the serious complications of Covid-19, which is why the new vaccine is being prioritised to protect them first.
“Whilst these first doses are given at fixed sites and occupational settings, and to protect our NHS and social care services, we must all continue to do our bit to prevent the spread of coronavirus: regular hand-washing, social distancing, and wearing a face covering where required to protect yourself and others.”
But he cautioned that the impact of the vaccine will not be seen nationally “for some months”.
In a tweet in which he urged people to keep following the rules regarding mask-wearing, keeping two metres apart and hand-washing, he wrote: “Significant news this morning.
“Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to make this a reality.
“Our vaccine programme is ready to go, but the impact won’t be seen nationally for some months.
“In the meantime, we all must continue to follow the rules and protect each other.”
The roll-out will be done on a fournations approach, with a similar process across all parts of the UK.
Dr June Raine, head of the MHRA, said “no corners have been cut” in assessing the jab’s safety.
“The safety of the public will always come first,” she said,
“This recommendation has only been given by the MHRA following the most rigorous scientific assessment of every piece of data so that it meets the required strict standards of safety, of effectiveness and of quality.”