We need 50,000 vaccine centres to beat the virus
EVEN the most optimistic medical professionals did not expect an approved vaccine before the new year. To have two is a dream come true. And to have a third approved on Friday is nothing short of a scientific miracle.
It would be easy to take that for granted, but after months and months of fighting a losing battle, we finally have our silver bullet.
Oxford’s vaccine is the route out of this mess.
It’s far cheaper than others, can be easily transported and we know it’s effective enough to drastically reduce the severity of this disease.
Ignore those who say restrictions will continue for years, even with a successful vaccine rollout. The public needs to know there is an end in sight to this nightmare and it’s no longer wishful thinking to hope that is just around the corner.
Everything now hinges on the distribution of the vaccine, specifically Oxford’s. This is no longer a question of science or medicine, it’s of manufacturing and logistics.
If we can get that right, then a full return to the “old normal” by March/april should be achievable.
The UK’S start was a fast one, but other countries are beginning to steam ahead. Israel has got almost 20 per cent of its population vaccinated with the first dose – what an astonishing statistic.
International comparisons are always tricky, but we should be aiming high.
At Doctorcall, we have run widescale vaccine programmes for years. Millions of doses have been delivered and it’s fair to say we are experts in this. I sympathise enormously with the task that the Government now faces.
Time is of the essence, but safety is the number one priority. There will be pressure from politicians, the media and others to cut corners but everything has to be done with surgical precision.
So from someone who has run national vaccine programmes, I have a few suggestions that may safely accelerate the rollout.
Distribution has to match the manufacturing; leaving unused vaccines in storage facilities across the country would be unthinkable. To ensure that doesn’t happen we need two things: trained medical staff and appropriate infrastructure.
Clearly the NHS is under enormous pressure at the moment so finding professionals who can administer a vaccine is crucial.
Frankly I’m surprised we haven’t had a more vocal call for help.
I read reports that retired professionals who have volunteered their time and expertise continue to be ignored. That has to change.
Whatever it takes, get the qualified staff ready to go with financial incentives offered and red tape cut. People are the most valuable resource we have and more effort has to go into bolstering the numbers.
Getting the military involved is a game changer and we need to use them however possible.
Nobody is as efficient as the British Armed Forces. Once the manpower is there, our ambitions should be virtually limitless.
The Oxford vaccine is easy to store, unlike many others, so it’s not an exaggeration to say there should already be thousands and thousands of vaccination sites across the country being set up.
Approval has been expected for some time now, so it’s disappointing not to see more action already.
If we have the staff, these centres should be running seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Whatever it costs, the Government must pay it. Lockdowns cost hundreds of billions and an effective vaccine rollout will pay for itself in no time at all.
We’re in an unprecedented situation, so it’s time for some imaginative thinking.
Why not set up vaccination centres in unused pubs?
If we can set up 50,000 or so polling stations for elections, getting thousands of vaccination centres set up should be doable.
At Doctorcall, we work with pharmacies across the country and we’ve found that to be brilliantly effective at reaching people.
Many elderly and vulnerable people know exactly where their pharmacy is and trust the pharmacist. Again, it will cost, but properly embracing them will easily be fantastic value for money.
All this depends on having the vaccine, the vials, the needles and any other equipment required.
We saw how quickly enormous amounts of PPE and ventilators were bought by the Government. That same urgency needs to be given to these supplies.
There are no easy solutions in this pandemic, but through the brilliance of our scientists the Oxford vaccine has provided us with an answer.
It may not be easy or cheap, but the Government has to do everything in its power to grab it with both hands and haul the country out of this relentless nightmare in which we now find ourselves.
People are the most valuable resource we have and more effort has to go into bolstering their numbers