UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday indicated that the perfect security endorsement he can consider for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is to verify that he can be receiving the jab as he now qualifies underneath an expanded vaccination drive. As the National Health Service (NHS) marked the one hundredth day of its vaccination programme by increasing it to all over-50s, the 56-year-old UK PM used the timing to reiterate the security message after some international locations suspended the usage of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs amid some issues.
It’s Oxford/AstraZeneca I can be having, mentioned Johnson, throughout his weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session within the House of Commons. The UK PM has beforehand mentioned the vaccines are secure and work extraordinarily nicely. Around 13 international locations, together with France, Germany, Italy and Spain, have sought clarifications round some experiences of blood clotting and as a brief measure suspended the usage of the vaccine developed by Oxford University and being produced by AstraZeneca and likewise the Serum Institute of India as a part of a worldwide tie-up. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UK and European drugs regulators have mentioned the jabs are secure and that there isn’t a proof of a causal hyperlink between the vaccine and blood clots. Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock had joined a refrain of UK ministerial and knowledgeable voices to reiterate the security of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines towards COVID-19.
We hold the consequences of those vaccines underneath evaluate on a regular basis and we all know that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is saving lives within the UK proper now so if you happen to get the decision, get the jab,” mentioned Hancock. Asked if there had been proof of individuals declining the jab after the European suspensions, Hancock mentioned there have been nonetheless “big numbers of individuals vaccinated on daily basis”.
He added: The UK’s vaccination rollout is a nationwide success story. It’s a tribute to everybody concerned and exhibits what our nation can obtain after we work collectively. I’m decided that nobody ought to miss out on the possibility to defend themselves and the individuals they love or look after, and I urge everybody who’s eligible for the vaccine to come ahead. Meanwhile, Wednesday marks 100 days because the NHS gave Maggie Keenan her first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination on December 8, 2020 and made world historical past with the first-ever jab to defend towards COVID-19.
The NHS mentioned it was doubling down on its efforts to vaccinate giant numbers towards the lethal virus with new invites now going out to thousands and thousands of individuals aged 50 to 54 within the newest stage of the age-based programme. Just 100 days because the NHS gave the world’s first COVID jab outdoors of medical trials, our vaccine programme passes one other milestone as we now invite everybody aged 50 and over to e book their vaccination, mentioned NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens.
The NHS is at the moment administering Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs and has delivered a vaccine to greater than 20 million individuals in England. The newest batch of invitations follows a major enhance to bookings final week as a results of a textual content message push alongside letters prompting slots to be booked. This week and subsequent now we have bigger provides, so we wish anybody within the high precedence teams individuals aged 50 and older as nicely as these working in well being and care and anybody with an underlying well being situation to come ahead quickly to defend themselves and their family members, mentioned Dr Nikki Kanani, a basic practitioner (GP) and NHS England’s Primary Care Director. The success of the NHS vaccination roll-out is testomony to the work of NHS employees, and as new teams of persons are invited to come ahead it is thrilling that we are actually inviting individuals aged 50 and over to get their jab, she mentioned.
Vaccinations are actually administered at greater than 1,600 websites throughout the UK, together with temples, mosques, museums and rugby grounds. Appointments are staggered to enable for social distancing and persons are being requested not to flip up early to keep away from creating queues. Everyone receives a well being standing verify and a pre-vaccination evaluation earlier than they’ve their jab.
