Thank you for contacting me about the roll-out of a Coronavirus vaccine.
I was delighted by the news that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been approved for use in the UK. Other vaccines are also being tested and prepared for possible use.
Any coronavirus vaccine that is approved must go through rigorous clinical trials and safety checks. The UK has some of the highest safety standards in the world. So far, thousands of people have been given a coronavirus vaccine and to date very few serious side effects or complications have been reported. Two people with histories of severe allergic reactions reacted badly to the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. As a precaution, the NHS is advising that anyone with a history of life-threatening allergic reactions to a vaccine or food should not get the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
More information from NHS England with links to detailed information from the MHRA and Gov.UK is available here.
I am assured that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has followed rigorous procedures to ensure the vaccine meets the high standards needed to be considered both safe and effective. The MHRA is one of the most respected regulators in the world; the World Health Organisation has commended the work of the MHRA and backed this approach.
Vaccinations save lives and it is vital that we do all we can to encourage and reassure those who may be hesitant to have the vaccine. There are suggestions in the media about politicians and public figures appearing on television and taking the vaccine to reassure the public. There is certainly huge potential value in this. There is also a very clear prioritisation list for the vaccine and I expect any deviation from that to be carefully considered by appropriate bodies. I understand that the Prime Minister's spokeswoman has already said that the PM would not want to get the vaccine before other people in higher-risk categories.
Regarding reports about the development of so-called 'Immunity Passports' which could be used to enable people to safely access certain venues, the Government has stated that the priority at the moment is establishing a safe and effective way to roll out the vaccine to those who need it. While I understand that a range of options is being considered to encourage people to receive the vaccine, the Government does not plan to make the COVID-19 vaccination mandatory
Turning to the vaccination strategy, the NHS has decades of experience of rolling out successful widespread vaccination programmes and has put in place extensive deployment plans. The vaccine will be delivered in three different ways: through hospital hubs; through local community services, including GPs and, in due course, pharmacies; and vaccination centres across the country, for example at sports centres or conference centres. Fifty hospital hubs will take part in the first wave, and I understand that more hospitals will start vaccinating over the coming weeks and months as the programme ramps up. I will be keeping a close eye on the development of these plans and what arrangements will be made in Calder Valley.
It is right that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care staff and systems. I welcome the work that the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has done to ensure this, and I understand that the vaccine will be rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
The JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.
The order of priority for each group in the population corresponds with data on the number of individuals who would need to be vaccinated to prevent one death, estimated from UK data obtained from March to June 2020.
This priority list is as follows:
- residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
- all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
- all those 75 years of age and over
- all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
It is estimated that taken together, these groups represent around 99% of preventable mortality from COVID-19.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
December 2020