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Frontline NHS staff have been denied the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, leaving doctors alarmed and ‘trying’ to get the shot.
New survey finds nearly two-thirds of doctors who responded still haven’t received the vaccine, half believe their delivery to the NHS frontline was ‘ad hoc’ and one-third have no idea of when they will be offered. They fear that the government’s decision to prioritize people over the age of 80 and nursing home staff over health workers has left them at risk of catching the disease, especially given the emergence of the variant of the coronavirus, which is 70% more transmissible.
The results, from a survey of 1,316 doctors by EveryDoctor, came as the UK drugs regulator prepares to approve the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, possibly as early as Monday. Leading doctors and NHS chiefs believe the availability of the second vaccine will lead to a dramatic increase in the number of people vaccinated, including healthcare professionals.
The fact that the Oxford vaccine can be stored and transported at normal temperatures, while the Pfizer vaccine must be frozen at -75 ° C, will greatly facilitate its distribution, especially to homes and nursing homes. The government has ordered 100 million doses, of which 40 million are expected before the end of March. About 10,000 people have reportedly been recruited to administer the vaccine in places such as racetracks, sports stadiums and village halls commissioned as vaccination sites.
Ministers believe that inoculating 15 million Britons will help restore a significant degree of normalcy, as many of those most at risk of Covid will have been vaccinated.
However, the Guardian has seen messages sent by NHS bosses to staff acknowledging their deep concern, with many workers feeling they have not been protected.
In an email sent to his colleagues on Boxing Day, Len Richards, chief executive of the Board of Health at Cardiff and Vale University in Wales, said: ‘I understand there is a lot of frustration among colleagues regarding access to the coronavirus vaccine. I can fully understand and appreciate this frustration.
Richards said the number of employees wanting the vaccine “far exceeds the amount of vaccine we have.” The problem was caused by “an indisputable constraint of supply and demand”, and the organization had to ration the blows because “the supply is so low”, he added.
Likewise, in a letter to staff on December 18, the division directors for medicine, surgery and nursing at Derby University Hospitals and the Burton NHS Trust, admitted that the “lack of clarity” on the moment when workers could be hit “is causing a level of anxiety and worry within certain groups of our workforce.”
The trio explained that the trust’s “limited capacity for staff immunization slots” was a result of ministers’ decision to give 75% of Pfizer supplies to those over 80 and 20% to household staff. of care, leaving only 5% – or 48 doses of a 975 batch – for NHS staff.
Dr Julia Patterson, head of EveryDoctor, an NHS core medical network, said: ‘The government urgently needs to rethink its strategy regarding the priorities of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“Vaccines prevent people from transmitting viruses. We have few vaccines available. Who needs a vaccine most? People who are forced to mingle with others. And these people are the frontline healthcare workers who care for Covid-19 patients, who continually encounter Covid-19. “
In EveryDoctor’s self-screening survey, 831 (63%) of 1316 doctors had not yet received the first dose of the vaccine, while 451 (34%) said they did not know what the plan was for. staff vaccination.
A consultant from the Imperial College Healthcare Trust in London said: “Some of us received vaccines following an overflow in GP surgeries, which involved word of mouth and last minute chats.
A Warwickshire GP has said it was ‘ridiculous’ not to prioritize the vaccination of healthcare professionals given the risk they will pass the virus on to patients. There were 30,501 new cases registered yesterday and 316 more deaths.
While the Pfizer vaccine was found to be 95% effective in trials, the Oxford vaccine resulted in 62% for those who took two full doses four weeks apart, but 90% for those who took half a dose, then a full dose later. However, the latter diet has only been tested on those under 55.
But Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, sought Sunday to promote confidence in the jab by insisting that it will prove to be as effective as that of Pfizer.
“We think we’ve found the winning formula and how to achieve efficacy that after two doses is up there with everyone,” Soriot told The Sunday Times.
The Department of Health and Welfare insisted that NHS staff had always been able to get vaccinated since the deployment began on December 8, although only those with underlying health conditions were eligible.
“Health and social workers have always been a priority for the Covid-19 vaccine since the start of the program, along with those older,” said a spokesperson.
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