NOW JABS AT GP SURGERIES

ABOUT 280 GP surgeries across England will begin operating as immunisation centres in the coming days with the expected arrival of more than a million extra doses of Pfizer’s vaccine from its Belgian factory. These, on top of the 800,000 already in the country, will allow the NHS to increase the number of appointments in the run-up to Christmas. Vaccine staff will work on Christmas Day. However, it seems that care- home residents – despite being top of the priority list – will have to wait until mobile inoculation teams are ready to make home visits. Health bosses, though, hope vaccinations in care homes will begin in the final few days before the festive break. The logistics are trickier than in GP surgeries because of the fragility of the vaccine phials and the need to keep them at minus 70C (minus 94F) or below, and because the NHS wants to take one step at a time.

SCOTLAND, WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND

While ‘active consideration’ is being given to vaccinating over-80s in community settings in Northern Ireland, according to the devolved Stormont government, there are no immediate plans for GP surgeries in Scotland, where the earliest roll-out is expected to be in the New Year or early spring. The same applies in Wales.