HEALTH secretary Matt Hancock has dubbed December 8 as “V Day” because that’s the date the first coronavirus vaccines will be handed out.
The mass immunisation programme will hopefully stop the Covid virus and bring an end to the restrictions.
Which hospitals are Covid vaccine hubs?
In England 50 hospitals have been earmarked as leading the vaccination rollout.
They will be using the Pfizer /BioNTech vaccine which has been approved for use and is 95 per cent effective, according to studies.
People have to receive two jabs 21 days apart for the vaccine to be fully effective.
If the vaccine is successful it should mean people can begin to lead their normal lives once more and return to normal.
It’s hoped the mass vaccination programme will mean the coronavirus restrictions can be lifted in spring 2021.
Each dose must be stored at -70C to keep it chemically stable and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used.
Public Health England has 58 specialised Twin Guard ultra-low temperature freezers which can hold a total of five million doses.
List of the 50 hospital hubs
Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
East Suffolk And North Essex NHS Foundation Trust
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Norfolk And Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Denmark Hill
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Princess Royal University Hospital
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospitals Coventry And Warwickshire NHS Trust
Royal Stoke Hospital
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust
University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Shrewsbury And Telford Hospital NHS Trust
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
South Tees NHS Trust
Wirral University Teaching Hospital
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Blackpool Teaching Hospital
Lancashire Teaching Hospital Trust
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust – Wexham Park Hospital
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – William Harvey Hospital
Brighton And Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust – Royal Sussex County Hospital
Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust
Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
North Bristol NHS Trust
Who will receive the vaccine first?
The distribution of vaccine across the UK is being undertaken by Public Health England and the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
People aged 80 and over, care home workers and NHS workers who are at higher risk will be the first to receive the vaccine.
Care home residents will also be among the first to receive the vaccine although there is no set date for this to be rolled out.
When is the vaccine being rolled out?
There is no full timescale for when people will receive the vaccine but the programme is due to start on December 8.
The day has been called “V-Day” by Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary.
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.”
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.”
