Covid vaccine offered to all care homes in England - BBC News

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A Covid vaccine has been offered to residents at every eligible care home in England, the NHS has announced.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the achievement, expected to be confirmed by official figures on Monday, as a "crucial milestone".

A target of 15 February has been set for the UK to vaccinate care home residents and carers, people over 70 and frontline care workers.

On Saturday a record 598,389 first jabs were given across the UK.

It means nearly nine million people have received the first dose of a vaccine, with about 490,000 having received two jabs.

NHS England said more than 10,000 care homes with older residents had been offered vaccines, although a "small remainder" of homes had visits deferred by local public health directors for safety reasons during local outbreaks.

These will be visited by vaccinators as soon as NHS staff are allowed to do so, it said.

• When will I get a Covid vaccine?
• Labour stands by teacher vaccinations policy
• How many people have been vaccinated so far?

Mr Johnson said vaccines were the "route out of the pandemic" but warned there will be "difficult moments to come" with the number of cases and people in hospital still "dangerously high".

"Today marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing race to vaccinate the most vulnerable against this deadly disease," he said.

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) sets which groups are prioritised for vaccinations, with residents in care homes and their carers in the top group.

All those over 70 years old, clinically extremely vulnerable people and frontline health and social care workers make up the top four groups which the government has said should be inoculated by mid-February.

In Scotland, the government has said the programme for first doses for care home residents, frontline health and social care workers and those aged 80 and over would be completed by 5 February.

Around 75% of care home residents in Wales have had their first jab, while in Northern Ireland the government has said 100% of care homes have received a first dose.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the vaccination campaign was off to a "flying start" as a result of an "amazing partnership working between our GPs, community nurses and care homes".

Liz Kendall, shadow social care minister, said that after the "appalling loss of life in care homes" it was "very good news" that vaccines had been offered to all elderly care home residents.

"We are in a race against time against this awful virus and ministers must leave no stone overturned to vaccinate all social care staff within the next two weeks," she added.

Labour has previously called for teachers to be moved up the JCVI priority list and said February half-term should be used to vaccinate teaching staff.

The vaccinations committee has said early vaccination of certain professions should be considered - but only once those in the top nine priority groups have been offered a first jab.

Fiona Carragher, director of research and influencing at Alzheimer's Society, said it was "great" the milestone had been met but she remained concerned that the staff vaccination rollout "has not been nearly so effective".

"The most pressing question now is how and when can care homes restart safe, meaningful visits. Combined with PPE and testing, isn't one jab enough? If not, what else needs to be in place? Another 12-week wait is unacceptable for people dying of loneliness," she said.

The news was welcomed by the care sector with Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum, saying it was "an amazing outcome".

Care UK chief executive Andrew Knight said almost all the company's residents had been offered a jab and "the majority of our colleagues" had been vaccinated.

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A further 587 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were reported on Sunday.

It takes the UK's total by that measure to 106,158, although the number of reported deaths tends to be lower over the weekend.

In other developments:

• Captain Sir Tom Moore is in hospital with coronavirus after needing help with his breathing
• Pupils in the UK could potentially lose an average of £40,000 each in lifetime earnings from the effects of school closures, according to a new report
• "Exhausted" medical staff need time to recover before tackling an NHS backlog, a group representing hospitals in England has warned

• LOCKDOWN LEARNING: Need some assistance with home-schooling? BBC iPlayer is here to help
• TASTY TIME-WASTING: How are food businesses helping us beat lockdown boredom?

Has your care home's vaccine visit been deferred? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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2021-02-01 07:03:00Z
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COVID-19: Every care home resident in England has been offered a coronavirus jab - Sky News

Every care home resident in England has been offered a COVID-19 jab, the NHS has confirmed, just hours after a new record was set for vaccinations in the UK.

Older people living in more than 10,000 care homes across England have either been vaccinated or offered the jab and those forced to wait because of an outbreak of the virus will be treated as soon as possible, health professionals said.

It follows the news that more than 600,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine were administered in just one day at the weekend.

Saturday saw 598,389 people across the UK given their first jab while another 10,621 got a second dose, as the government and NHS races towards a target of vaccinating 15 million of the most vulnerable people in the country by mid-February.

So far, nearly nine million people have had a first vaccine.

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Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England's primary care director, who has also been delivering vaccines to care home residents and staff, said: "I want to thank my colleagues, and everyone involved in the vaccine rollout, for their extraordinary work in recent weeks."

She added: "It is because of their tireless efforts that millions of people have already been vaccinated, including hundreds of thousands of care home residents, and as a result we are a vital step further in our fight against COVID-19.

More from Covid-19

"It has been a privilege to vaccinate some of the most vulnerable people and the wonderful people who look after them.

"Many have had little contact with the outside world throughout the pandemic and so it has been truly humbling for all, giving them hope and importantly protection against the disease.

"I would urge anyone who is offered the vaccine to come forward."

Image: Boris Johnson has warned the number of COVID cases and people in hospital remains dangerously high

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Today marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing race to vaccinate the most vulnerable against this deadly disease.

"We said we would prioritise and protect care home residents, and that is exactly what we have done.

"There will be difficult moments to come, and the number of cases and people in hospital remains dangerously high.

"But vaccines are our route out of the pandemic, and having protected 8.9 million people with a first dose so far, our rollout programme will only accelerate from here on."

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Care staff in crisis mode at Sheffield nursing home

Speaking to Sky News after the milestone was reached, Nadra Ahmed, the executive chairman of the National Care Association, called it a "great feat" - but she added that the toll on care homes should not be underestimated.

"It's hard to get across what an impact it has had on people's mental health," she said.

Ms Ahmed added: "We have homes telling us they have two or three deaths in a year maybe, and they have had to face six or seven in months. Just the thought.. and for the residents in those homes to see empty chairs.

"You can't put that into words really. It's really hard."

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Covid: EU and AstraZeneca in 'step forward' on vaccines - BBC News

Reuters

The EU says UK-Swedish drug firm AstraZeneca will now supply an additional nine million Covid vaccine doses by March, after days of criticism of the bloc's vaccination programme.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a "step forward".

But the 40m doses now expected are still only about half of what had been hoped, amid continuing supply problems.

The Commission has been involved in a much-criticised row with both the UK and AstraZeneca this week.

In particular it was condemned over its threat to put checks on the Northern Ireland border to prevent vaccines produced in the EU from reaching the UK.

The border was one of the most difficult problems to overcome in the recently agreed Brexit deal, following the UK's departure from the EU.

The EU was angry that Britain was getting its UK-made contracted supplies from AstraZeneca while it suffered a shortfall. So the bloc announced it was introducing export controls on coronavirus vaccines made inside the EU to try to protect its supplies. The Brexit deal ensures there are no obstacles to trade between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland .

• How effective is the Oxford vaccine?
• Why is EU’s vaccine rollout so slow?
• Is it OK to get a leftover Covid-19 vaccine?

What is the EU chief promising?

In a tweet, Ms von der Leyen said AstraZeneca would "deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last week's offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled".

She said this represented a 30% increase on the previous amount.

Irish broadcaster RTE is reporting that the country will get another 100,000 doses as a result.

The EU signed a deal in August for 300 million AstraZeneca doses, with an option for 100 million more.

Reuters

It was hoped 80 million would be delivered in the first quarter of 2021 - although other sources had put the figure at 100 million - but AstraZeneca said there were production problems at its Dutch and Belgian plants. Media reported this would mean a 60% cut in supplies to the end of March.

There followed a terse exchange between the two parties on contractual obligations, the EU arguing it was binding and the drug firm saying it had only to provide its "best reasonable efforts". The contract between the two was partly published as both tried to win the argument.

The Commission pointed out it could be supplied from UK-based plants, but the UK staunchly defended its supply contracts with AstraZeneca.

The UK was the first country to approve the vaccine, on 30 December - the EU only did so on Friday.

The EU, also on Friday, announced its so-called transparency mechanism, which gives countries in the bloc powers to deny authorisation for vaccine exports if the company making them has not honoured existing contracts with the EU.

The EU's attempt to apply measures to the Irish border was widely condemned, and the heads of the UK- and Europe-wide industry bodies warned against export bans.

The EU stepped back and, in a call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Ursula Von Der Leyen said that "there will be no disruption of contracts that we have with any producer in the EU".

So what has been achieved?

In addition to her announcement on the doses, Ms Von Der Leyen said she had had a video-conference with vaccine manufacturers.

In an earlier tweet she spoke of "our new initiative to strengthen bio-defence preparedness", adding: "We're discussing how to address Covid-19 variants & scale up manufacturing, be better prepared for future pandemics."

There was no reference to the talk earlier in the week of legal action and "hijacking" of supplies. The BBC's Kevin Connolly says this was a curiously flat and bland conclusion to a week of stormy rhetoric.

The additional doses announcement will be greeted with relief in Brussels, our correspondent says, but it still leaves the European Commission facing awkward questions about how its signing of supply contracts and approval processes have lagged behind those of other wealthy nations.

Even Ms Von Der Leyen's reference to AstraZeneca expanding its production in Europe and the earlier supply date were partly signalled by the firm last week.

But she said on Sunday that the EU was maintaining its "target of vaccinating 70% of adults by the end of summer".

"Our opponent is the virus and the pharmaceutical industry is part of the solution," Ms Von Der Leyen told German public broadcaster ZDF.

Damage done

Remember just how long and difficult the Brexit negotiations were in reaching an agreement on Northern Ireland? Think about how often the EU lectured the UK government about the importance of respecting the detail of the arrangement; how peace in Northern Ireland was at stake.

Yet the impression the European Commission gave on Friday - however incorrect or unintended, which is what it insists - is that those concerns could be thrown aside in a heartbeat.

The European Commission back-tracked late on Friday (although it has reserved the right to revisit the issue, it says, if it sees EU-manufactured vaccines entering the rest of the UK via Northern Ireland).

The U-turn was publicly welcomed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. But take a look at political and press reaction in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and you'll see a lot of damage had already been done.

Read Katya's analysis in full here

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2021-01-31 23:03:00Z
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Captain Sir Tom Moore battles Covid & pneumonia in hospital as PM wishes him ‘full recovery’ after he ‘in - The Sun

BORIS Johnson has wished Captain Sir Tom Moore a "full recovery" after his family revealed that he was battling Covid-19 and pneumonia in hospital.

The war veteran, who was awarded a knighthood by the Queen for raising millions for the NHS, was admitted to hospital in Bedford after struggling with his breathing.

Follow our Captain Tom Moore live blog for all the latest updates on the national hero.

Captain Sir Tom Moore was admitted to a hospital in Bedford today after struggling with his breathingCredit: PA:Press Association

According to his daughter, Sir Tom had been battling pneumonia over the last several weeksCredit: AFP or licensors

The PM sent his well wishes to the 100-year-old on TwitterCredit: PA:Press Association

His daughter Hannah said he has been battling pneumonia for the last few weeks and last week tested positive for Covid.

She said that he is currently not in intensive care as she thanked medical staff for doing "all they can" to make him comfortable.

Taking to Twitter the PM led prayers for the Army walking hero telling him that he "inspired the whole nation".

The PM said:" My thoughts are very much with Captain Tom Moore and his family.

"You've inspired the whole nation, and I know we are all wishing you a full recovery."

A spokeswoman for the family confirmed that Captain Tom had not received his Covid vaccine due to his pneumonia medication.

A spokeswoman for his family said: “Because of the medication he was taking for his pneumonia he couldn’t have the Covid jab.

“Everyone is sending positive thoughts his way.”

Captain Tom Moore won the hearts of the nation with his bid to raise money for NHS staff before his 100th birthday on April 30.

The hero set out to reach £1,000 when he started the appeal and has since picked up many awards and was knighted by the Queen.

During the first UK lockdown from March 23, his aim was to walk 100 laps of the 25-metre (82ft) loop in his garden with the aid of a walking frame in Marston Moretaine, in 10-lap chunks.

He went on to raise £32,796,355 for NHS charities.

The statement from the war hero's daughter Hannah reads: "I wanted to update everybody that today my father was admitted to hospital.

"Over the last few weeks he was being treated for pneumonia and last week tested positive for Covid-19.

"He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing.

Sir Captain Tom Moore's family released a statement to Twitter today with the update that he had been admitted to hospitalCredit: Twitter

Last July Captain Tom was knighted by the QueenCredit: Getty Images - Getty

The Captain at The Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance last NovemberCredit: PA:Press Association

Captain Sir Tom poses with his memoir he released in September called 'Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day'Credit: Getty Images

"He is being treated on a ward, although he is not in ICU.

"The medical care he has received in the last few weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do all they can to make him comfortable and hopefully return home as soon as possible.

"We understand that everyone will be wishing him well. We are of course focusing on my father and will update you when we can."

He has not been seen in public since returning from a bucket-list holiday to Barbados with his family after Christmas.

Well-wishes for the national hero poured in after his family revealed his illness.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was sending his "best wishes" to Sir Tom's family.

Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted that he was "praying" for Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also sent a get well soon message, and tweeted: "You've been an inspiration to us all throughout this crisis."

Piers Morgan shared a photo of Captain Tom in his garden with a Union Jack flag wrapped around him.

He added alongside the snap: “Come on, Captain Sir Tom - we’re all rooting for you.”

The 100-year-old celebrated his birthday with three cakes last AprilCredit: AFP

An undated picture shows Captain Tom pose with trophies on a motorcycle Credit: Reuters

Michael Ball, who recorded a charity single with Captain Sir Tom Moore that reached number one, tweeted: "Love and prayers for @captaintommoore and his lovely family as he battles this b*****d of a virus.

"Stay strong Sir. We are all here for you."

Last July the Queen knighted Captain Tom which was her first face-to-face engagement since lockdown began in March 2020.

Before the ceremony Captain Tom joked: "If I kneel down, I'll never get up again, but I'm sure it'll go well, as she's done it before".

Her Majesty performed the special ceremony at Windsor Castle for the fundraising legend as a special exception.

With her father's sword in her hand, the Queen, 94, lightly touched him first on his right shoulder then his left with the blade - dubbing him a knight.

She told him: "Thank you so much. An amazing amount of money you raised."

Raising money for the NHS is the second time Captain Tom proved himself to be a national hero.

During World War Two, Tom enlisted in 145 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps and was chosen for officer training in 1940, rising to the rank of captain.

He was posted to India and went on to serve his country in Burma, now called Myanmar.

A picture of Captain Tom while he was serving in the armyCredit: Reuters

Captain Tom (centre) pictured during his time in the British armyCredit: justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs

Sir Tom's daughter Hannah and her kids joined him when he was knighted last July

Sir Tom poses on a red carpet for the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2020Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Sir Captain Tom Moore interviewed for BBC One’s Festival of Remembrance

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2021-01-31 22:00:00Z
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Covid: EU and AstraZeneca in 'step forward' on vaccines - BBC News

Reuters

The EU says UK-Swedish drug firm AstraZeneca will now supply an additional 9 million Covid vaccine doses by March, after days of criticism of the bloc's vaccination programme.

Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said it was a "step forward".

But the 40m doses now expected are still only about half of what had been hoped, amid continuing supply problems.

The Commission has been involved in a much-criticised row with both the UK and AstraZeneca this week.

In particular it was condemned over its threat to put checks on the Northern Ireland border to prevent vaccines produced in the EU from reaching the UK.

The border was one of the most difficult problems to overcome in the recently agreed Brexit deal, following the UK's departure from the EU.

The EU was angry that Britain was getting its UK-made contracted supplies from AstraZeneca while it suffered a shortfall. So the bloc announced it was introducing export controls on coronavirus vaccines made inside the EU to try to protect its supplies. The Brexit deal ensures there are no obstacles to trade between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland .

• How effective is the Oxford vaccine?
• Why is EU’s vaccine rollout so slow?
• Is it OK to get a leftover Covid-19 vaccine?

What is the EU chief promising?

In a tweet, EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said AstraZeneca would "deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last week's offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled".

She said this represented a 30% increase on the previous amount.

RTE in Ireland is reporting that the country will get another 100,000 doses as a result.

The bloc signed a deal in August for 300 million AstraZeneca doses, with an option for 100 million more.

Reuters

It was hoped 80 million would be delivered in the first quarter - although other sources had put the figure at 100 million - but AstraZeneca said there were production problems at its Dutch and Belgian plants. Media reported this would mean a 60% cut in supplies to the end of March.

There followed a terse exchange between the two parties on contractual obligations, the EU arguing it was binding and the drug firm saying it had only to provide its "best reasonable efforts". The contract between the two was partly published as both tried to win the argument.

The Commission pointed out it could be supplied from UK-based plants, but the UK staunchly defended its supply contracts with AstraZeneca.

The UK was the first country to approve the vaccine - the EU only did so on Friday.

The EU, also on Friday, announced its so-called transparency mechanism, which gives countries in the bloc powers to deny authorisation for vaccine exports if the company making them has not honoured existing contracts with the EU.

The EU's attempt to apply measures to the Irish border was widely condemned, and the heads of the UK- and Europe-wide industry bodies warned against export bans.

The EU stepped back and, in a call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Ursula Von Der Leyen said that "there will be no disruption of contracts that we have with any producer in the EU".

So what has been achieved?

In addition to her announcement on the doses, Ms Von Der Leyen said she had had a video-conference with vaccine manufacturers.

In an earlier tweet she spoke of "our new initiative to strengthen bio-defence preparedness", adding: "We're discussing how to address Covid-19 variants & scale up manufacturing, be better prepared for future pandemics."

There was no reference to the talk earlier in the week of legal action and "hijacking" of supplies. The BBC's Kevin Connolly says this was a curiously flat and bland conclusion to a week of stormy rhetoric.

The additional doses announcement will be greeted with relief in Brussels, our correspondent says, but it still leaves the European Commission facing awkward questions about how its signing of supply contracts and approval processes have lagged behind those of other wealthy nations.

Even Ms Von Der Leyen's reference to AstraZeneca expanding its production in Europe and the earlier supply date were partly signalled by the firm last week.

But she said on Sunday that the EU was maintaining its "target of vaccinating 70% of adults by the end of summer".

Damage done

Remember just how long and difficult the Brexit negotiations were in reaching an agreement on Northern Ireland? Think about how often the EU lectured the UK government about the importance of respecting the detail of the arrangement; how peace in Northern Ireland was at stake.

Yet the impression the European Commission gave on Friday - however incorrect or unintended, which is what it insists - is that those concerns could be thrown aside in a heartbeat.

The European Commission back-tracked late on Friday (although it has reserved the right to revisit the issue, it says, if it sees EU-manufactured vaccines entering the rest of the UK via Northern Ireland).

The U-turn was publicly welcomed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. But take a look at political and press reaction in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and you'll see a lot of damage had already been done.

Read Katya's analysis in full here

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2021-01-31 20:49:00Z
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