Ready to knock-back Covid: Specialised-freezers sit stocked with Pfizer vaccine

Freezers stocked with the Pfizer vaccine have been lined up in a row in a secure location ahead of the distribution of the jabs to the NHS, it has been revealed.

Photographs shows dozens of freezers which will keep the vaccines at temperatures as low as -70C ahead of their roll out to care homes and GP surgeries within a fortnight.

PHE said it has secured 58 specialised Twin Guard ultra-low temperature freezers which provide sufficient storage for approximately five million doses of potential Covid-19 vaccines which require ultra-low temperature storage.

Logistical issues mean there are difficulties in getting the jab to residents, as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.

Images from Public Health England (PHE), taken at a secure location, show specialist Covid-19 vaccine freezers lined up.

A picture taken of the interior of one of the freezers shows stacks of trays which will hold the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine doses.

PHE said it has secured 58 specialised Twin Guard ultra-low temperature freezers which provide sufficient storage for approximately five million doses of potential Covid-19 vaccines which require ultra-low temperature storage.

The fridges, which are not portable, each hold around 86,000 doses. The distribution of vaccine across the UK is being undertaken by Public Health England and the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through systems specially adapted from those used for the national immunisation programmes. 

Photographs shows rows of freezers which will keep the vaccines at temperatures as low as -70C ahead of their roll out to care homes and GP surgeries within a fortnight

When ready for injection, vials are warmed to room temperature over a two-hour period, diluted and drawn into needles, and then teams have six hours in which to vaccinate patients

When ready for injection, vials are warmed to room temperature over a two-hour period, diluted and drawn into needles, and then teams have six hours in which to vaccinate patients

Rows of vaccine have been stored in the freezers in a secure location ahead of their expected rollout within the next ten days. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) still has to rubber-stamp the protocol for removing the fragile vaccine from its deep-freeze, but officials expect that to be resolved within days

Rows of vaccine have been stored in the freezers in a secure location ahead of their expected rollout within the next ten days. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) still has to rubber-stamp the protocol for removing the fragile vaccine from its deep-freeze, but officials expect that to be resolved within days

FROM MAN CITY… TO MASS TESTING 

In ordinary times, football fans would be queuing in their thousands outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium to watch their favourite team in action.

But the sporting venue will now be transformed into a mass vaccination centre, administering around 1,000 jabs a day.

Pictures from outside the stadium show large yellow clinical waste bins and fences going up in preparation.

The first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived on Thursday.

The UK was the first country to approve the jab on Wednesday and there are plans to start vaccinating the most vulnerable from next week. The vaccine, which needs to be kept at a temperature of about -70C, is up to 95 per cent effective.

The Etihad – which has a football capacity of 55,000 – is one of a number of sporting venues chosen to be a vaccination centre, alongside Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol and John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield.

Horse racing venues – such as Epsom Downs in Surrey – are also set to be transformed to help vaccinate the nation.

NHS England said NHS staff were working through the weekend to prepare for the launch of the programme.

There are 50 hubs in the first wave in England, with more hospitals starting to vaccinate over the coming weeks and months as the programme ramps up.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: ‘Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kickstart the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history from Tuesday.

‘The first tranche of vaccine deliveries will be landing at hospitals by Monday in readiness.

‘The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes – from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs – hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease.’

Mr Hancock said: ‘We are doing everything we can to make sure we can overcome significant challenges to vaccinate care home residents as soon as possible too.’

GPs were last night told to prepare to receive doses in the week starting December 14, with care homes expected to receive the vaccine in the same week. 

In a letter, NHS chiefs said central GP hubs will receive trays of 975 doses and will have to use all of them within three and a half days. The sites to receive the jabs will be confirmed on Monday.

The letter said: ‘It is crucial we start to activate local vaccination services to allow priority patient cohorts to start accessing the vaccine.’

The logistics of storing and transporting the complex Pfizer vaccine had delayed plans to make care home residents the first to receive the jabs.

Health bosses had put vulnerable social care residents at the top of a prioritisation list for the vaccine, which received authorisation on Wednesday. But the practicalities of transporting the vaccine – which can be moved only four times and needs to be stored at -70C – meant the plans was delayed.

Instead, over-80s and care home staff will be the first to receive the jab when the vaccination programme – dubbed Operation Courageous – starts in NHS hospitals next Tuesday. 

Pictured, Matron May Parsons (right) talks to Heather Price (left) during training in the Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University Hospital in Coventry

Pictured, Matron May Parsons (right) talks to Heather Price (left) during training in the Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University Hospital in Coventry

Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, last night warned NHS staff to expect a tough few months, despite the prospect of a vaccine.

In a letter to NHS employees, co-signed by the chief medical officers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Professor Whitty wrote: ‘Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months.

‘The social mixing which occurs around Christmas may well put additional pressure on hospitals and general practice in the New Year and we need to be ready for that.

‘We think it likely that by spring the effects of vaccination will begin to be felt in reducing Covid admissions, attendances and deaths significantly but there are many weeks before we get to that stage.

‘We must support one another as a profession as we go to the next, hard months.’  

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Hancock said he ‘can’t wait’ to scrap the three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions, and for the country to ‘get back to living by mutual respect and personal responsibility, not laws set in Parliament’.

Asked if the start of administering the vaccine this week could bring about a sooner end to the restrictions in the first three months of 2021, he said: ‘Yes it will.’

Mr Hancock, who is reportedly referring to Tuesday as ‘V-Day’, told the newspaper: ‘There’s no doubt that having the vaccine early… will bring forward the moment when we can get rid of these blasted restrictions but until then we have got to follow them.’ 

Preparation for the roll out of the vaccine to thousands of people are well underway, with politicians speculating the UK population could be ready to start returning to normal by April

Preparation for the roll out of the vaccine to thousands of people are well underway, with politicians speculating the UK population could be ready to start returning to normal by April

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) still has to rubber-stamp the protocol for removing the fragile vaccine from its deep-freeze, but officials expect that to be resolved within days (stock photo)

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) still has to rubber-stamp the protocol for removing the fragile vaccine from its deep-freeze, but officials expect that to be resolved within days (stock photo)

GPs were last night told to prepare to receive doses in the week starting December 14, with care homes expected to receive the vaccine in the same week. Pictured, a lorry leaves Pfizer Manufacturing in Puurs, Belgium as the UK authorises the vaccine for emergency use

GPs were last night told to prepare to receive doses in the week starting December 14, with care homes expected to receive the vaccine in the same week. Pictured, a lorry leaves Pfizer Manufacturing in Puurs, Belgium as the UK authorises the vaccine for emergency use

COVID VACCINES WILL HAVE ‘MARGINAL IMPACT’ ON WINTER HOSPITAL NUMBERS 

Health services face a tough three months over the winter period as new coronavirus vaccines will only have a ‘marginal impact’ on hospital numbers, the UK’s four chief medical officers have warned.

In a letter written to colleagues, the four said that festive gatherings were likely to put additional pressure on healthcare services.

The letter read: ‘Winter is always a challenging time for the NHS and wider health and social care service. This year will be especially hard due to Covid-19.

‘Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months.

‘The actions and self-discipline of the whole population during lockdowns and other restrictions have helped reduce the peak and in most parts of the four nations hospital numbers are likely to fall over the next few weeks, but not everywhere.

‘The social mixing which occurs around Christmas may well put additional pressure on hospitals and general practice in the New Year and we need to be ready for that.’

The letter praised health workers for responding ‘magnificently’ to the challenges of the pandemic and stressed the importance of continuing support for others within the profession.

But it added that it was ‘essential’ that the next months were used to learn more about the virus to help inform treatments.

‘We do not expect Covid to disappear even once full vaccination has occurred although it will be substantially less important as a cause of mortality and morbidity,’ it said.

‘It is therefore absolutely essential that we use the next months to learn as much as we can as we expect Covid to be less common in the future.

‘This will allow us to have the best chance of a strong evidence base for managing it over the coming years.’

The chief medical officer of England, Professor Chris Whitty; of Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith; of Wales, Dr Frank Atherton; and of Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride, all signed the letter.

Immunity certificates for people vaccinated against Covid ARE possible, government scientists say

By Victoria Allen, Science Correspondent for the Daily Mail  

Immunity certificates for people who have been vaccinated against coronavirus are ‘possible’, Government advisers said yesterday.

Scientists advising on the pandemic have ‘re-examined’ immunity certificates – the idea that people given a Covid jab, or who have recovered from the virus, could be freed from pandemic restrictions for a period of time.

They released their deliberations yesterday, days after the new minister for the vaccines, Nadhim Zahawi, controversially suggested restaurants, bars and cinemas could turn people away if they are unable to show evidence they have been immunised.

Nervtag (the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group), which also advises the Government, concludes: ‘Some form of Covid-19 immunity certification is likely to be possible, but further data and considerations are needed before a recommendation can be made.’

Scientists advising on the pandemic have 're-examined' immunity certificates – the idea that people given a jab, or who have recovered from the virus, could be freed from pandemic restrictions for a period of time. Pictured, May Parsons (right) is assessed by Victoria Parker (back) during training in the Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University Hospital in Coventry

Scientists advising on the pandemic have ‘re-examined’ immunity certificates – the idea that people given a jab, or who have recovered from the virus, could be freed from pandemic restrictions for a period of time. Pictured, May Parsons (right) is assessed by Victoria Parker (back) during training in the Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University Hospital in Coventry

It decided to look at immunity certificates after vaccine trials showed jabs offer a ‘high degree’ of protection against falling ill with Covid.

With the UK well into the second wave of cases, a significant number of previously infected people may also have some immunity. But how long people will be safe for, and the level of protection they have, is not known.

In a section of their document on immunity certificates entitled ‘key uncertainties’, the advisers state: ‘The duration of natural or vaccine-induced immunity is not yet fully understood.’

With airline Qantas set to require international travellers to be vaccinated before allowing them on a plane, immunity certificates have raised concerns over human rights and medical privacy. Critics fear they could eventually be used to deny people access to public transport, universities or jobs.

It comes as medical professionals familiarise themselves with the administration of the new vaccine.

Two of the nurses who’ll be leading the immunisation battle were pictured in training yesterday.

They released their deliberations yesterday, days after the new minister for the vaccines, Nadhim Zahawi, controversially suggested restaurants, bars and cinemas could turn people away if they are unable to show evidence they have been immunised. Pictured, Matt Hancock

They released their deliberations yesterday, days after the new minister for the vaccines, Nadhim Zahawi, controversially suggested restaurants, bars and cinemas could turn people away if they are unable to show evidence they have been immunised. Pictured, Matt Hancock

Inside the Covid-19 Vaccination Clinic at the University Hospital in Coventry, Matron May Parson was seen touching the spot on her nursing colleague Heather Price to show where the jab is to be given.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove this week insisted the Government is not planning to introduce ‘vaccine passports’, telling BBC Breakfast: ‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, that’s not the plan.’

However there is some evidence suggesting certificates could work, according to Nervtag.

The scientists say a ‘high proportion’ of people who have had Covid will develop immunity preventing them from falling ill again within a month of having been infected.

This protection is likely to last at least three months, although experts are not completely confident of this.

A vaccine too will protect a high proportion of people. But the sticking point is that experts do not yet know if recovered and vaccinated people can still get infected with Covid without falling ill.