Covid will be with us FOREVER but take the vaccine if you want social distancing to end, warns Jonathan - The Sun

COVID will be with us FOREVER but Brits must take the vaccine if they want social distancing to end, Jonathan Van-Tam warned tonight.

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer said "we will never eradicate coronavirus" but urged Brits to take the jab if they want their dreams of a return to normal life to come true.

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Professor Jonathan Van-Tam has warned coronavirus will never be eradicatedCredit: Reuters

People wear masks at a tramway stop in Amsterdam, NetherlandsCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Asked by The Sun when Covid measures could end, he said the bug is likely to "be with human kind forever" and will become a "seasonal problem."

His remarks came after Britain became the first country in the world to give a Covid jab the green light.

Experts deem the Belgium-made Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine safe, meaning a rollout to millions of people can now begin.

About 800,000 older people, care home workers and vulnerable people will be able to get access to the vaccine from next week, and millions across December.

Prof Van-Tam said he did not think we would soon be able to have a "massive party, throw our masks and hand sanitiser away and say it's behind us like the end of the war".

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson then appeared to correct him in a bust-up live on air saying he had "high hopes" the vaccine would allow life to return to normal.

'WITH HUMAN KIND FOREVER'

Prof Van-Tam then replied: "I do like to be challenged when I have, perhaps, not made myself clear, and the Prime Minister has picked me up on this occasion, and it's quite alright because it gives me a chance to clarify what I mean here.

"I do not think the Government will continue to have to recommend social distancing, masks, and hand sanitiser forever and a day.

"I hope we will get back to a much more normal world.

"But, the point I was trying to make was - do I think, possibly, some of those personal habits for some people will persist longer, and, perhaps, become enduring for some people, yes, I think that's possible."

Mr Johnson replied: "As in the Far East. Well, who knows?"

Appearing alongside the Prime Minister and NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens during tonight's coronavirus briefing, Prof Van-Tam said: "I don't think we're going to eradicate coronavirus ever.

"I think it's going to be with humankind forever.

"I think we may get to a point where coronavirus becomes a seasonal problem - I don't want to join too many parallels with flu - but possibly that is the kind of way we would learn to live it."

The medical chief also stressed the problem will not go away if people do not take the vaccine when it is offered to them.

If you want that dream to come true as quickly as it can come true then you have to take that vaccine when it is offered to you. Low uptake almost certainly mean restrictions will last longer.

Professor Jonathan Van-TamDeputy Chief Medical Officer

He said: "This vaccine isn't going to help you if you don't take it. You will need two doses of this vaccine to have full protection.

"Watching others take it and hoping it will protect you too doesn't work necessarily. We don't know if it prevents transmission."

Dashing hopes of a speedy rollout for the whole nation, the top professor also said it will take "months not weeks" and warned that low uptake of the jab will "almost certainly make restrictions last longer".

Giving the blistering wake-up call, he said: "Everyone wants social distancing to come to an end, we are fed up with it.

"But if you want that dream to come true as quickly as it can come true then you have to take that vaccine when it is offered to you. Low uptake almost certainly mean restrictions will last longer."

HERE TO STAY

The PM said: "We are no longer resting on the mere hope we can return to normal but rather the sure and certain knowledge that we will succeed and reclaim our lives and all the things about our lives that we love."

But had added "we have to fight on" and continue with the tougher Tier rules - which came in today after the lockdown lifted - until the vaccine can get to those who need it.

He stressed that "for the time being, we've got to take it that tiering is going to be a very, very important part of our campaign against Covid."

He dodged questions on whether it would roll on past February and towards Easter - as some critics fear.

NHS boss Simon Stevens said they were gearing up for the biggest vaccination programme in the history of the health service and they were "raring to go".

He said that the bulk of jabs for people who need it will be done by April.

Covid Vaccine: Who, When and How?

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of the NHS, today said the following about the new Covid vaccine:

Who? "The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation have clearly recommended the NHS should make sure those first offered are those at highest risk. In practice, that means starting with the over 80s, as well as people in care homes as well as staff looking after them.

When? "In the new year, we will be extending that to many more people across the country. Although we are the first health service in the world to get vaccinating supplies from the manufacturer are phased.

"The bulk of this vaccination program will take place in the period January through to March or April for the at risk members of the population. Since you need two jabs… typically 21 days apart… that means we’ve got to reserve the second dose for those getting the first dose in December."

How? The NHS chief said the vaccine "is logistically complicated".

He said: "We have to move it around the country in a carefully controlled way. It also comes in packs of 975 people’s doses. You can't at this point just distribute it to every individual GP or pharmacy. Next week 50 hospital hubs across England will start offering the vaccine to over 80s, carehome staff and those identified by GVI.

"The hospital will get in touch with you, you don’t need to do anything yourself."

He added that the NHS intends for vaccination centres to rollout the jab as more become available in the months to come. 

The drug has been backed by independent regulator the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Prof Van-Tam revealed today he was "quite emotional" at this morning's vaccine news.

With a very effective vaccination and high uptake, 99 per cent of covid related mortality and deaths will be eliminated in the first phase of the vaccine rollout.

But he warned that everyone must be "patient and realistic" and wait their turn.

And while they were "very hopeful" it would prevent transmission, the experts didn't yet know it for sure.

If people fail to follow the rules now, there will be a "tidal wave" of infections going into Christmas, he said.

A YouGov poll this evening found that one in five Brits were not confident at all or not very confident that Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is safe.

The bulk of the doses will be dished out next year, when more come on stream and extra doses are manufactured.

The jab is the first of several that are expected to be approved in the coming weeks - including the Oxford vaccine.

The news came as:

• England's second national lockdown ended today, plunging the nation into harsher restrictions - but opening shops, gyms and leisure centres
• 50 NHS hospitals will be ready to deliver the jab from next week
• Care home residents, NHS staff and the elderly will be among the first to receive drug
• UK has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - enough to vaccinate 20 million people - with 10 million doses due in the UK by the end of the year
• The Nightingale hospitals, along with football clubs, race-courses and tennis courts, will be transformed into mass vaccine centres
• A scientist warned it may take six months to get everyone vaccinated

And he confirmed that people in care homes would be the first to get it - with the oldest residents first.

But the Government haven't set out a time frame yet on how quickly they will get it.

MP Chris Green said vaccines should only be given out on a voluntary basis - and the PM agreed.

He said it is "not part of our culture or ambition" to force jabs onto anyone, but that people should take it if they can.

The jab needs to be kept at -70C and needs two doses taken 21 days apart to be effective.

The jab - which is 95 per cent effective and developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech - is safe for use, health regulators say.

It means the UK is the first country in the world to give a vaccine the green light.

It will be deployed as "quickly as it is manufactured", the Health Sec said.

Jonathan Van-Tam tells Brits to 'get on the train' as he hails coronavirus vaccine roll-out

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2020-12-02 18:33:00Z
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UK vaccine approval: Did Brexit speed up the process? - BBC News

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock has claimed Brexit allowed the UK to approve a Covid vaccine more quickly than other European Union (EU) countries.

"We do all the same safety checks and the same processes, but we have been able to speed up how they're done because of Brexit," he said in an interview with Times Radio.

And the Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, tweeted: "We could only approve this vaccine so quickly because we have left the EU."

We could only approve this vaccine so quickly because we have left the EU. Last month we changed the regulations so a vaccine did not need EU approval which is slower. https://t.co/y2Az7okPdx

— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) December 2, 2020

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

The EU - through the European Medicines Agency (EMA) - has yet to approve a coronavirus vaccine.

But the idea that Brexit enabled the UK to press ahead and authorise one is not right.

It was actually permitted under EU law, a point made by the head of the UK's medicines regulator on Wednesday.

What are EU rules on approving vaccines?

Under European law a vaccine must be authorised by the EMA, but individual countries can use an emergency procedure that allows them to distribute a vaccine for temporary use in their domestic market.

Britain is still subject to those EU rules during the post-Brexit transition period which runs until the end of the year.

The UK's own medicines regulator, the MHRA, confirmed this in a statement last month.

And its chief executive, Dr June Raine, said on Wednesday that "we have been able to authorise the supply of this vaccine using provisions under European law, which exist until 1 January".

We asked Mr Rees-Mogg about his comment that: "Last month we changed the regulations so a vaccine did not need EU approval which is slower."

He replied with part of the text of an "explanatory memorandum" which accompanied new laws passed by Parliament last month.

"The regulation of human medicines is an area of shared competence between the EU and Member States under article 4 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)," it reads.

"But in light of the EU's comprehensive exercise of the competence, Member States are precluded from exercising the competence nationally."

It is true that, in general, regulation of new medicines is done on an EU-wide basis. But that does not take account of the emergency provisions in EU law which Dr Raine refers to.

At the government briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was asked whether the UK's vaccine approval was down to a "Brexit bonus".

He refused to answer directly and thanked the NHS and the Vaccine Taskforce instead.

Moving faster

The MHRA is well-regarded as a world leader in the regulation of medicine, and it has certainly chosen to move faster with vaccine approval than the EMA.

"Our speed or our progress has been totally dependent on the availability of data in our rolling review, and the rigorous assessment and independent advice we have received," Dr Raine said.

But again, the MHRA didn't have to rely on Brexit to do that.

For example, the European Commission confirmed earlier this week that Hungary - an EU member - could use a Russian Covid vaccine in its domestic market if it chose to do so.

'Most appropriate'

The EMA appeared to criticise the UK approach in a statement which said it is using a slightly slower method for licensing Covid vaccines than the UK.

Jean-Christophe Guillaume

It considers this approach to be "the most appropriate regulatory mechanism for use in the current pandemic emergency, to grant all EU citizens access to a vaccine and to underpin mass vaccination campaigns".

The agency said this longer process was based on a wider body of evidence. The EMA has said it will decide by 29 December whether to grant provisional approval to the vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and BioNTech.

EU distribution

That means distribution of the vaccine across the EU - if it is approved - won't start until January, when the relevant EU laws will no longer apply in the UK.

The government says it can be more nimble outside the EU, amidst an ongoing debate about how closely it should stick to EU regulations in all sorts of policy areas.

But the fact that the UK is the first country in the world to approve this vaccine has got nothing directly to do with Brexit.

Additional reporting by Oliver Barnes

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: How do I protect myself?
• AVOIDING CONTACT: The rules on self-isolation and exercise
• WHAT WE DON'T KNOW How to understand the death toll
• TESTING: Can I get tested for coronavirus?
• LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area

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2020-12-02 18:27:00Z
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First phase of Covid vaccine rollout to highest risk ‘will eliminate 99% of coronavirus-related deaths’ - The Sun

THE first phase of the Covid vaccine roll out plan will eliminate 99 per cent of coronavirus-related deaths, one of England's top docs said today.

Deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam told a Downing Street press conference that phase one will see all those over the age of 50, and people who are clinically vulnerable, get the vaccine.

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The elderly will be first in line for a vaccine as they are the most vulnerableCredit: AFP or licensors

Deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said vaccinating high-risk groups will 'eliminate 99 per cent of Covid-related deaths'Credit: PA:Press Association

Independent experts today confirmed care home residents, their carers, the over 80s and frontline NHS and social care workers will be immunised first.

The priority list then runs in order of age, and takes into consideration those with underlying health issues.

Prof Van-Tam said: "The JCVI priority list phase one, which takes us down to people 50 years of age and over and under 50 if you're in an at-risk group, taken together it's not an accident that they take out - with a very effective vaccine and high uptake - 99 per cent of Covid-related mortality, deaths."

First jab gets green light

It comes as the UK became the first country in the world to give the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, which is 95 per cent effective, the green light to be rolled out from next week.

Other front runners including the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna jabs are still being assessed by the regulators, who said today they will work over Christmas in the hope of approving more vaccines.

Both experts and politicians have hailed the "historic moment", just ten months after Sars-CoV-2 emerged earlier this year, but warned that the country "can't lower our guard yet".

Matt Hancock said the approval marks a "new chapter in our fight against the virus", while Boris Johnson said it will help us "reclaim our lives".

Speaking in the commons, the Health Secretary told MPs: "Even since the pandemic hit our shores almost a year ago we have known a vaccine would be critical to set us free.

"It's no longer a case of if there's going to be a vaccine, it's when.

"In our battle against the virus, help is on its way.

"Today is a triumph for all those who believe in science, a triumph for ingenuity, a triumph for humanity."

It comes as:

First in line

Hours after the news Pfizer's jab was safe to be rolled out, experts confirmed who will get the first doses.

Mr Hancock said we can expect 800,000 doses in the UK by next week, but refused to say how many are likely to reach our shores by the end of the year.

The Department of Health today stated that "tens of thousands" of people will receive the "high quality vaccine" from next week.

The doses will be shipped over from Belgium in the coming days, and will be here by the weekend, Pfizer bosses confirmed today.

In total the UK has ordered 40million doses, enough to give 20million Brits the required two doses, 21 days apart.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) confirmed at a Downing Street press conference earlier today that roll out would be prioritised by age.

He said: "Prioritisation was based on the risk of dying from Covid-19 and in order to protect the most vulnerable we have prioritised them first.

"By protecting the NHS we also protect lives."

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam today hailed the development and said supply would soon be rolled out to the NHS.

Prof Van Tam, who recently had to self-isolate due to a household member coming into contact with someone with the virus, said in time, eligible Brits would be invited to have the jab.

He added: "I urge you to be ready, and to help make the process as smooth as possible. For now, stay patient, and keep yourselves safe by continuing to follow the rules and maintaining social distancing.”

It means care home residents, staff and their carers will be front of the queue, followed by those over 80 and frontline NHS and social care staff.

The NHS and Army are on standby to begin the "unprecedented" mass vaccination programme, on a scale not seen before in this country.

Special vaccination centres will be set up across the UK, including the Nightingale hospital in London and Epsom Racecourse, while fifty hospitals are gearing up to immunise their staff.

Due to the fact the Pfizer jab has to be stored at -70C, it is likely NHS workers will be among those who get the first doses.

'Historic moment'

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference Prof Munir Pirmohamed said: "We are in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic and I think this is a historic moment.

"The UK is now one step closer to providing a safe and effective vaccine to help in the fight against Covid-19, a virus that has affected each and every one of us in some way. This will help to save lives."

After the most vulnerable people have received the vaccine the over 60s will receive the jab.

This will be followed by the over-55s and over-50s before the rest of the population is able to be vaccinated.

The government has not yet revealed when the first jabs will be rolled out but it was previously reported that the NHS is getting ready to start it's mass vaccination programme.

Patients need two doses 21 days apart for protection against Covid-19, meaning not enough shots have yet been secured for the entire UK population.

People will be protected from the virus seven days after their second dose.

It's not clear how long immunisation lasts, with the possibility of booster jabs needed and this will be studied over time.

The green light from the MHRA means that Britain will be ahead of the US in receiving the jab even though it was developed using US government funding. 

WHO ARE THE AT-RISK GROUPS?

The elderly, NHS staff and other at-risk groups will take priority when it comes to a Covid jab.

People over 18 with the following conditions are considered to be in 'at-risk' groups:

• chronic respiratory disease like severe asthma, COPD and cystic fibrosis
• chronic heart disease and vascular disease
• chronic kidney disease
• chronic liver disease
• chronic neurological disease like cerebral palsy, Parkinson's, dementia, motor neurone disease
• type 1 diabetes
• type 2 diabetes requiring insulin or oral medication, diet-controlled diabetes
• immunosuppression - those undergoing chemo, transplant patients, people taking certain drugs that suppress the immune system
• asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
• morbid obesity - those with a body mass index of over 40
• severe mental illness
• adult carers
• close relatives or carers of immunocompromised adults
• younger adults in long-stay nursing homes and residential care settings

The chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dr June Raine this morning chaired a Downing Street briefing on the vaccine.

Dr Raine said top standards had been maintained during production and testing of the vaccine.

"That doesn't mean that any corners have been cut, none at all."

She added that the public would be invited to take part in an active monitoring programme which would see people receive letters to join.

GREEN LIGHT

Top experts have worked "round the clock, carefully, methodically poring over tables and analyses and graphs on every single piece of data" and Dr Raine said that thousands of pages of data have been examined.

The experts did however admit that there would have to be "some flexibility" in terms of who gets the vaccine.

A report published by the JCVI stated that it needed to protect those most at risk of "morbidity and mortality".

The experts stressed that it would not matter what tier a person was in when it comes to who the vaccine is distributed to.

VACCINE GUIDANCE FOR KIDS

The regulatory bodies have stated that the vaccine will be given to care home residents and staff as a priority - followed by the elderly and at-risk groups.

The JCVI have stated that children won't be offered the jab yet.

It's guidance states: "Following infection, almost all children will have asymptomatic infection or mild disease.

"There are very limited data on vaccination in adolescents, with no data on vaccination in younger children, at this time.

"The Committee advises that only those children at very high risk of exposure and serious outcomes, such as older children with severe neuro-disabilities that require residential care, should be offered vaccination."

Clinicians have been urged to discuss the risks and benefits of vaccination with parents - who in turn should be informed of the safety data for the vaccine in kids over the age of 16.

The body added: "More detail on vaccination in children is set out in the Green Book – Immunisation Against Infectious Disease."

Further research is still being carried out to see how the vaccine works in pregnant women and in children.

Prof Shen Lim said that the JCVI had considered the safety data on the jab.

"We’re pleased to say that it supports vaccinating those most at-risk of death from Covid-19 – starting with older people in care homes and those aged 80 years and above. 

“This priority reflects the available data on those most at-risk of serious disease and death from Covid-19 infection. "

He added: "Whether or not the vaccine can be delivered to care homes is a valid point and there will be some flexibility. 

"Every effort should be made to supply and offer the vaccine to care home residents.

"Whether that's doable is dependent on deployment and implementation."

Prof Shen Lim said priority will be in order of those most at risk

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also hailed the development today but warned that "it isn't the end of the struggle".

Speaking in the House of Commons he said the protection of vaccines will allow Britons to "reclaim our lives" and get the economy moving.

He said: "I think it is very important at this stage for us all to recognise that this is unquestionably good news. It's very, very good news.

"It is by no means the end of the story, it is not the end of our national struggle against coronavirus and that is why it's very important that the package of moderate but tough measures that the House voted for last night, the tiering system, is followed across the country because that's how we will continue to beat the virus."

Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, tweeted: "It will take until spring until the vulnerable population who wish to are fully vaccinated. We can't lower our guard yet."

Boris Johnson hailed the vaccine development today - but warned it 'wasn't the end of the struggle'Credit: Sky News

'BIG STEP FORWARD'

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at Public Health England (PHE, said the recommendations from the JCVI and MHRA provide confidence that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has met the "very high standards needed to roll out the vaccine".

She added: "This is a big step forward in tackling the virus.

“This means it can be delivered to those most at-risk, to help prevent as many deaths from Covid-19 as possible.

"Once deployed, PHE will work alongside the MHRA to keep the safety and efficacy of the vaccine under constant review.”

AGE MATTERS

The JCVI states that age is the biggest risk when it comes to the coronavirus.

A report published by the group states that models show that the vaccine is safe on older adults.

The report also notes that care home residents have been "disproportionally affected" by Covid-19.

This is due to the fact that they are at a higher risk of being exposed to infection.

"The Committee’s advice is that this group should be the highest priority for vaccination. Vaccination of residents and staff at the same time is considered to be a highly efficient strategy within a mass vaccination programme with the greatest potential impact", the report adds.

ARE THERE OTHER EFFECTIVE VACCINES?

A number of vaccines are currently being tested - with good results

Recent data from the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccine trials suggests their candidates also have high efficacy, just like the Pfizer jab.

Oxford data indicates the vaccine has 62 per cent efficacy when one full dose is given followed by another full dose.

However, when people were given a half dose followed by a full dose at least a month later, its efficacy rose to 90 per cent.

The combined analysis from both dosing regimes resulted in an average efficacy of 70.4 per cent.

Final results from the trials of Moderna's vaccine suggest it has 94.1 per cent efficacy, and 100 per cent efficacy against severe Covid-19.

Nobody who was vaccinated with the vaccine known as mRNA-1273 developed severe coronavirus.

The UK has secured access to 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, which is almost enough for most of the population.

It also belatedly struck a deals for seven million doses of the jab on offer from Moderna in the US.

All vaccines undergo rigorous testing and have oversight from experienced regulators.

The UK has secured access to:

– 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine

– 60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine

– Some 30 million doses from Janssen

– 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine – the first agreement the firms signed with any government

– 60 million doses of a vaccine being developed by Valneva

– 60 million doses of protein adjuvant vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi Pasteur

– Seven million doses of the jab on offer from Moderna in the US.

'HELP IS ON ITS WAY'

The UK regulator was formally asked by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to check the Pfizer vaccine and approve it.

He said today: "From Easter onwards, things are going to be better and we’re going to have a summer next year that everybody can enjoy."

Mr Hancock tweeted earlier this morning: "Help is on its way.

"The MHRA has formally authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19.

"The NHS stands ready to start vaccinating early next week.

"The UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply."

Matt Hancock this morning said that the MHRA had authorised the Pfizer offering Credit: AP:Associated Press

Hospitals are now preparing their staff to start receiving the vaccine from Monday. An army of helpers will then issue the jab to those most in need.

It has to be stored at -70C and can only be thawed in batches of 1,000 before immunisation.

The vaccine has to be administered in two shots and the UK has 800,000 doses of the jab - enough for 400,000 people available from next week.

In total the UK has ordered 40 million doses of the jab, with 10 million set to be available at the end of the month.

Britain WILL 'be through' coronavirus by Spring, says Matt Hancock

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2020-12-02 18:10:00Z
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COVID-19: Boris Johnson warns of 'immense logistical challenges' in distributing vaccine - Sky News

It will take "some months" for the UK's most vulnerable people to be vaccinated against coronavirus, the prime minister has said.

Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Boris Johnson acknowledged there will be "immense logistical challenges" in distributing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which has been approved for use in the UK.

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UK approves use of Pfizer's COVID vaccine

"It will inevitably take some months before all the most vulnerable are protected - long, cold months," he said.

"So it's all the more vital that as we celebrate this scientific achievement we are not carried away with over-optimism or fall into the naive belief that the struggle is over."

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The PM was speaking after the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

The jab, which has been given the green light by the independent health regulator, will be rolled out across the UK from early next week.

More from Covid-19

Elderly people in care homes and their carers are top of the list to get the vaccine, which studies have shown is 95% effective and works in all age groups.

The government has secured 40 million doses of the COVID-19 jab, which needs to be refrigerated at -70C (-94F).

Image: How the vaccines ordered by the UK compare

Despite being at the top of the priority list, the head of the NHS told the news conference that most care home residents will need to wait for their vaccine because of difficulties in transporting it.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said that because the jab has to be stored at such low temperatures it can only be moved a few times.

Packs of doses - with 975 doses per pack - also cannot be easily split at this moment in time.

The first people to get the vaccine will receive it from from 50 hospital hubs and will be the over-80s, care home staff and others identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) who may already have a hospital appointment.

He said the majority of vaccinations will take place in "January through to March or April for the at-risk population".

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Mass vaccine rollout planned from January

"We have to move it around the country in a carefully controlled way initially at minus 70 degrees centigrade, or thereabouts, and there are a limited number of further movements that we are allowed by the regulator to make," Sir Simon said.

"It also comes in packs of 975 people's doses so you can't at this point just distribute it to every individual GP surgery or pharmacy as we normally would for many of the other vaccines available on the NHS."

Pharmacies could be able to start giving people jabs in January, Sir Simon said.

"If the MHRA, the independent regulator, as we expect they will, give approval for a safe way of splitting these packs of 975 doses then the good news is we will be able to start distributing those to care homes," he said.

"And then as even more vaccine becomes available finally we will be able to switch on large vaccination centres across the country and indeed invite local community pharmacists probably at the beginning of January to begin to offer vaccination as well."

Speaking about the difficulty of getting the vaccine into care homes, Mr Johnson said there is a risk the vaccine could "degenerate" if it is "improperly handled".

The call for patience was echoed by the deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, who appeared alongside the PM and Sir Simon.

"Rollout won't be instant," he warned, as he called on people to stick to the current restrictions and general guidance over the coming months.

Echoing Sir Simon, he said the vaccine was a "complex product with a very fragile cold chain".

"It's not a yoghurt that can be taken out of the fridge and put back in multiple times. It's really tricky to handle," he said.

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Hancock offers to get jab alongside Labour's Ashworth

Professor Van-Tam also appealed to people on the fence about vaccines, saying: "Everyone wants social distancing to come to an end - we are fed-up with it.

"Nobody wants lockdowns and to see the damage they do. But if you want that dream to come true as quickly as it can come true, then you you have to take the vaccine when it is offered to you.

"Low uptake will almost certainly make restrictions last longer."

He said the current restrictions, including social distancing and the tiered system across England, will need to stay in place "for now".

"If we relax too soon, if we just, kind of, go 'oh, the vaccine's here, let's abandon caution', all you are going to do is create a tidal wave of infections," he said.

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'We need people to take the vaccine'

Asked by Sky's political editor Beth Rigby if the coronavirus tiers will continue beyond the end of January, when MPs are due to vote on them again, the PM replied: "I think for the time being, you've got to take it that tiering is going to be a very, very important part of our campaign against coronavirus.

"It's absolutely vital that people stick to the guidance and follow the rules."

Mr Johnson added that there are "weeks, months of work to go" before restrictions can be eased.

Meanwhile, the PM's press secretary has suggested Mr Johnson could have a jab live on TV - but only if it did not prevent someone more in need from getting one.

Analysis: PM reveals his metric for success after vaccine breakthrough
By Tom Rayner, political correspondent

After countless Downing Street press conferences where so much about the future was in doubt, Boris Johnson set out to deliver a message underpinned by certainty.

This evening there was no need for graphs, terrifying projections or colour-coded maps.

He said he was now "certain" the arrival of a clinically approved vaccine meant there was a way out of the pandemic, but he was equally sure "the struggle isn't over" and that the "plan does depend on all of us continuing to make sacrifices".

But despite attempts by Mr Johnson to capture the moment with martial arts metaphors, it was the deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van Tam who seemed to capture those dual certainties with greater impact and eloquence.

He said he was "quite emotional" about the news this morning and reassured the public they were right to feel that way too.

"Everyone needs to be delighted with the news today" he said "but equally patient and realistic".

And the reason for the need for the certain need for patience was laid out over the course of the press conference.

The key example was the acknowledgment that despite care home staff and residents being considered the most vulnerable category, the Pfizer vaccine will not be easy to get to them.

Cases of the vaccine contain 975 doses, and those consignments cannot be separated down into smaller units..

Those cases would be too large for most individual homes, so it will require the medical regulator to change its permissions for this particular vaccine or the approval of the less logistically demanding Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, for doses to be quickly rolled out.

Even if this particular challenge were to be overcome, head of the NHS Sir Simon Stevens made the point that even the most vulnerable are unlikely to get the required second dose until the New Year, so the need for social distancing and other restrictions will still be required for some time to come.

Indeed, Jonathan Van Tam suggested he did not believe COVID-19 would ever be entirely eradicated and was likely to become seasonal like flu.

"Do I think we be able to throw a big party like the end of the war? No I don't", he said, adding that he thinks some of the habits of handwashing and keeping some distance could be enduring.

That seemed to alarm the prime minister, who perhaps saw it as undermining the message of certainty that normality would return.

It was a revealing moment, because it seemed to gives a sense of Mr Johnson's personal metric for success.

So much so the deputy chief medical officer felt the need to clarify he was talking about habits, rather than an enduring need for government restrictions.

"Well, who knows, who knows" said the PM, uncertainly.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2NvdmlkLTE5LWJvcmlzLWpvaG5zb24td2FybnMtb2YtaW1tZW5zZS1sb2dpc3RpY2FsLWNoYWxsZW5nZXMtaW4tZGlzdHJpYnV0aW5nLXZhY2NpbmUtMTIxNDkxNzjSAX1odHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY292aWQtMTktYm9yaXMtam9obnNvbi13YXJucy1vZi1pbW1lbnNlLWxvZ2lzdGljYWwtY2hhbGxlbmdlcy1pbi1kaXN0cmlidXRpbmctdmFjY2luZS0xMjE0OTE3OA?oc=5

2020-12-02 17:37:30Z
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