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I I must say that I was surprised by your headline (English retirement homes “sitting ducks” while general practitioners refuse the Covid vaccine on infected sites, January 21). I am a semi-retired general practitioner who, along with other retired colleagues, has returned to the front lines as a vaccinator. I have seen how my colleagues – be they general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists, administrative staff – have worked to coordinate and administer the available Covid vaccines. Rather, your title implies that many general practitioners are avoiding nursing homes with Covid outbreaks and that sounds inaccurate, negative and misleading.
However, the article discusses the situation rationally and explains what is happening in various parts of the country. One of the reasons for delays in nursing homes is the logistical problem associated with taking the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine. The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine presents much less of a problem and I am sure it will allow rapid coverage in community settings.
Dr David Lawrence
Hextable, Kent
• Regarding your article (foreign NHS workers could be refused Covid vaccine in England, January 22), while it is true that for administrative reasons, people without an NHS number will not be called for vaccination, if you live in the UK you need to register with a GP. In doing so, you will be given an NHS number and you will be called for vaccination at the appropriate time. It would be much more constructive to tell people this, and that if they have moved and are not registered with a local GP, they should do so to be invited to a geographically appropriate clinic, than to report those who do not. do not have an NHS number that is not vaccinated.
Dr Heather Parry
Watford, Hertfordshire
• How can the government justify withholding future supplies of Yorkshire and North East vaccines simply because of failures in other regions (the supply of vaccines to North East and Yorkshire has been cut to catch up late regions, January 21)? What happened to the next level and rewarding success? This penalizes the greater efficiency and efforts of the region in the distribution and administration of vaccines.
The north has been subject to almost continuous restrictions since March 2020, unlike the south. Covid rates here have been higher, and recent figures estimate that more than 19% of the population of Yorkshire and the Humber have had Covid – the highest in the country.
The north is at a disadvantage in other ways, for example due to poor education and employment prospects, so a successful vaccination campaign is all about leveling up, not about bringing us down. Why shouldn’t our region be the first to vaccinate everyone over 50? No one wishes the disease on other people, but if it had been the other way around I doubt the government would have delayed vaccinating people in the south to protect the north. Let’s have some fairness. And if there are logistical problems in the south, call in the military to deal with them.
Sue Colven
Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
• Thus, vaccine supplies to Yorkshire and the North East must be halved to divert them to London for catch-up purposes. Absolutely right. And given this surprising new emphasis on regional equity, I eagerly await the news that all infrastructure and arts funding in London will be suspended while funds are redirected to the regions – for catching up purposes. .
Kevin Heymann
Hexham, Northumberland
• Friday I had my first inoculation with the Pfizer vaccine. I was handed a four-page brochure that included on page 3 a short, unhighlighted paragraph telling me, “Protection against Covid-19 may not be effective until at least 7 days after the second dose.” Given the lack of weight given to this written warning and the lack of verbal reinforcement (who reads the brochures?), It is hardly surprising that people who receive the vaccine believe they are good at socializing with the rest and 11% say they probably would no longer follow the rules (researchers warn of another Covid spike if people mix up after the vaccine, Jan.19).
Why has the publicity about the dangers of Covid been so vague – unlike hard-hitting campaigns such as those on AIDS awareness and seat belt wearing?
Peter Lowe
Newcastle upon Tyne
• My 100-year-old grandmother’s vaccination date was delayed four times due to unspecified administrative issues. She is in an Edinburgh nursing home and has contracted Covid while waiting. My 98 year old grandfather in Inverness also didn’t get a dose because apparently there are “too many administrators”. The SNP says daily that vaccine stocks are insufficient as it prioritizes nursing home residents and is making “good progress.” How can this be true if two of Scotland’s oldest people, separated by more than 100 miles, still have to be vaccinated almost seven weeks after the start of the program?
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