Jab pressure on NHS

DOCTORS will have their work cut out as the UK prepares to roll out a mass vaccination programme in the coming weeks.

Care home residents and staff as well as frontline NHS workers are widely understood to be among those getting the vaccines first, followed by the elderly. Precise details of the timetable for the vaccination have not yet been revealed by authorities, although GPs have been asked to prepare for the programme.

In a normal year, winter poses challenges for healthcare staff, but 2020 has been anything but usual, so the pressures on doctors and nurses cannot be overstated. To be sure, doctors are generally in favour of administering the vaccine, although, understandably, many have raised concerns about their workload as primary care networks brace to inoculate the general public.

It is likely that venues that can accommodate large numbers – such as conference centres and sports stadiums – will be used for the exercise. Pharmacists, some retired healthcare staff and the army could also be drafted in to help.

The UK government has said Covid vaccination will not be mandatory, but in order to ensure a wide take-up, ministers must communicate clearly and in a transparent manner the benefits and (side effects, if any) of the various vaccines that are in line for regulatory approval.

For their part, members of the public must seek out genuine sources of information when it comes to vaccines, rather than be led by false and therefore potentially dangerous narratives that are peddled by anti-vaxxers.

It is also essential to remember that through all this, GP surgeries will remain open for routine appointments, so there is no need to delay being seen by a doctor if medical attention is necessary.