Second major COVID vaccine already in NI for Monday….

Looks like the Oxford vaccine is on its way…

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in the UK, with the first doses due to be given on Monday amid rising coronavirus cases.

The UK has ordered 100 million doses – enough to vaccinate 50 million people.

This would cover the entire population when combined with the full order of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said.

It comes as millions more people in England are expected to be the toughest tier four restrictions.

Vaccination centres will now start inviting patients to come and get the jab from next week.

Priority groups for immunisation have already been identified, starting with care home residents, the over-80s, and health and care workers.

But all adults, including the under-50s, will eventually be offered a vaccine.

And in Northern Ireland…

50,000 doses of the vaccine were already in Northern Ireland, having been delivered ahead of its approval.

He also said a “big push to get through these next few months” was needed, with demand on the health service expected to increase.

Meanwhile, 33,683 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered to care home residents and front line health staff in NI.

Vaccinations have been carried out in 80% of care homes in Northern Ireland, which Mr Swann said was a “significant achievement”.

ADDS: This explains why although the first dose does not grant full immunity it seems to
Be keeping people out of hospital, so lengthening the time period between first and second does means getting round more of the population quicker.

“Vaccine with a possible cure for Coronavirus and Planet Earth” by focusonmore.com is licensed under CC BY

Mick Fealty

Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty