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A large teaching hospital has been forced to suspend its vaccination clinics because it does not have enough eligible people to get vaccinated.
Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge told staff last week that they wouldn’t risk wasting Pfizer vaccine by thawing a 1,170-dose box because few workers had signed up for their first vaccine.
Frontline health workers are one of four priority groups for vaccines, and the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), which manages Addenbrooke’s, said it has already vaccinated 82% of its workers. Others, including those over 70 and residents of nursing homes, are vaccinated elsewhere locally.
Ministers have yet to formally authorize hospitals and general practitioners to extend the vaccination program to those in lower categories, including cancer patients and people with heart disease, despite the fact that a number of Health experts believe that these groups urgently need the vaccine.
Last week, Lord Bethell, the Minister of Health, pledged during a Lords debate that he would review the case of people with learning disabilities to have the vaccine as a priority group. It came after Baroness Hollins, professor at London’s St George’s Hospital School of Medicine, revealed that Covid-19 accounted for 80% of deaths of people with learning disabilities in the week ending January 22.
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, 78% of residents over the age of 70 received their first dose.
In an email to staff last Wednesday, Addenbrooke’s Hospital said: “Unfortunately, we do not have enough staff booked for appointments over the next few days to confidently make the decision to defrost. next pack of vaccines and risk wasting precious doses.
The email said the hospital had “made the very difficult decision” to cancel all appointments on Thursday starting at 3 p.m., and would start “limited” clinics from Tuesday.
“Depending on the remaining demand, next week’s sessions could unfortunately be the last sessions available for staff […] until we start the second doses, ”the email continued.
“We know it will be disappointing for those who have booked to receive their first dose, but we cannot be in a position where the vaccine is wasted.
“We continue to follow national policy and will therefore offer second doses 11-12 weeks after the first dose. In response to a number of questions, we can confirm that we are unable to provide the vaccine to family members. “
Addenbrooke’s staff received their first jabs on January 11, so according to policy they will not receive a second dose until the end of March.
A CUH spokesperson said: “Members of the public from the four main priority groups are vaccinated at accessible sites across the region, including services run by general practitioners and larger vaccination centers. More than eight in ten of our staff, and those who are closely affiliated, have already received the vaccine, while the next Colleague Clinic will be on Tuesday, which means more staff will be able to get the vaccine and avoid wasting doses.
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