Comment: 10 minutes not 10 miles is target

Ten minutes not ten miles must be the target.

It's the Government's contention that 'everyone will live within ten miles of a vaccination centre' by the end of January.

But that does not go nearly far or fast enough.

T h e m o s t v u l n e rab l e groups – especially the elderly – who are being targeted first for the vaccine, are often those least able to travel any great distance.

If we empowered the 11,000 pharmacies across the country along with GP'ssurgeriesthenthegoalto have everyone within a tenminute walk would start to seem achievable.

At the televised press conference yesterday, our titles challenged Health Secretary Matt Hancock to make maximum use of the pharmacies network as part of our campaign which is being supported by our sister titles across the country.

It is the prevailing need to minimise travel, as stated by Boris Johnson, Professor Chris Whitty and countless others yesterday, which justifies our call for local pharmacies to be fully involved.

Not only do they have the clinical expertise, but they’re located far closer to the people than the seven new regional centresupandrunning.

We w e l c o m e th e p o s i t ive re - sponse from 10 Downing Street and Health Secretary, to our joint call for a greater role for community pharmacies.

Let's hope that they deliver

We look forward to further progress being made at speed so people – especially the least mobile who are also the most vulnerable – only have to travel the shortest distance possible in this public health emergency.