The Isle of Wight will receive its first doses of Pfizer/Biontech Covid vaccine next week (w/c 14th Dec), it has been revealed.
Nationally, the first roll-out of the groundbreaking vaccine will start today (Tuesday), as 50 hospital hubs across the country receive the first batches.
Residents will have to wait longer
On the Island, however, with the Isle of Wight NHS Trust not being one of the hubs, residents will have to wait longer before the first vaccinations can take place.
Simon Bryant, director of public health for the Island, said the ‘brilliant’ vaccine programme is ‘hugely logistically challenged’ and the Island will receive its doses from the University Hospital Portsmouth NHS Trust, the nearest hospital hub to the Island.
Still awaiting permission to split packs
The go-ahead to split the packs of 975 vaccines still needs to be given by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
They can then be distributed to the medical settings across the rest of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It is thought the approval could come any day now.
Until then, the Isle of Wight will use vaccine centres to receive the doses, on an invitation-only basis.
West and Central areas first
Clinical chair of the NHS Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Michelle Legg, who, along with other health bodies on the Island, is running the roll out on the Island, said the first 975 doses will be received at the start of next week, on either Monday, 14th December or the following day.
Dr Legg, who is also a GP at the Tower House Surgery in Ryde, said the first doses will be stored in the Carisbrooke surgery and be distributed in the West and Central areas of the Island.
A second batch would be received later the same week, with a third arriving a week later, starting Monday, 21st December.
Legg: Situation changes almost hourly
Speaking at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s policy and scrutiny for health and social care last night (Monday), Dr Legg said the situation changes almost hourly but those being given the vaccination first has been decided by NHS England and is dependent on the nature of the vaccine.
The first Covid-19 vaccine, the Pfizer/Biontech, needs to be stored at -70°C and can only be transferred a few times, compared to the second vaccine, called the Oxford vaccine, which can be stored, used and distributed much more easily between 2°C and 8°C. This vaccine is expected to be approved soon.
Legg: Over 80s who are not housebound first
Dr Legg said:
“It was going to be the care home group of vulnerable people [who received the vaccine first]. Now, however because of the nature of the vaccine, how it needs to be stored and how it can be only transferred a few times, the cohort which NHS England has designated to be vaccinated first in the community is the over 80s who are not housebound.
“They will be invited to vaccination, a couple of weeks before Christmas and then there are several categories that will be vaccinated next.”
Oxford vaccine will go to care homes
Dr Legg said when the Oxford vaccine is approved by the MHRA, it is thought that will be the one to vaccinate people in care homes as it can be done ‘easily and quickly’.
Darren Cattell, deputy chief executive of the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, said the trust does have facilities to store the Pfizer vaccines, as and when they do arrive, but some details are yet to be finalised.
He said:
“We are all working well and incredibly hard together to navigate our way through this but, as Dr Legg said, things are changing almost on an hourly basis.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Marco Verch Professional under CC BY 2.0
