As England is in national lockdown to help curb the spread of coronavirus, vaccinations are another arsenal in the toolkit to fight this deadly disease. Here are the latest details about it all.
A spokesperson for the high street pharmacy said: “Superdrug is proud to confirm that it is supporting the NHS with the roll-out of the biggest vaccination programme in its history – and critically helping the NHS reach the first key target of delivering 13 million vaccinations in February. “
Michael Henry, Superdrug’s Healthcare Director commented: “We are the only high street retailer with a team of highly qualified nurses who, together with our pharmacists, have decades of experience of delivering mass vaccination services.”
During the numerous waves of the pandemic, Henry is proud of Superdrug’s nurses, who have volunteered in “hospitals, the wider community and blood transfusion centres”.
“We are now supporting the roll-out of its critical vaccination programme to help people most at risk from coronavirus,” he added.
Superdrug says it will need two consultation rooms at each location, including a portable pharmacy outside, as confirmed by the BBC.
The high street store is looking to deliver 1,000 vaccines a week at Broadmead site in Bristol to help the government achieve it’s ambitious vaccination goal.
Out of the two vaccines currently in circulation in England – the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfzifer/BioNTech – it’s the former that is going to be adminstered by Superdrug pharmacies, said the BBC.
READ MORE: Chaos as EU’s ‘bungling bureaucracy’ blamed for ‘delays’ to vaccine
Who is eligible for the coronavirus jab?
Superdrug confirmed: “The order in which people will be offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
It stressed: “As this is not a private service, patients will be contacted by the NHS when they are eligible for their vaccination.”
Superdrug’s Healthcare Director, Michael Henry, went on to talk about their COVID-19 anitbody test – available as an at-home service through a finger-prick sample and as a healthcare professional led service in its Health clinics.
“Most recently, Superdrug expanded its services with Fit to Fly PCR tests,” added Michael Henry.
The lastest guidance from the JCVI detailed the orderly priority list 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[footnote 1]
- all those 65 years of age and over
- all individuals aged 16 years[footnote 2] to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality[footnote 3]
- all those 60 years of age and over
- all those 55 years of age and over
- all those 50 years of age and over
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “It is estimated that taken together, these groups represent around 99 percent of preventable mortality from COVID-19.”
Where do you fall on the priority list? And would you turn down the offer of a vaccination? Please comment below.