It was revealed today that the UK is sending hundreds of soldiers to help accelerate its Covid booster rollout. The goal is to achieve a million jabs every day.
Boris Johnson has drafted the Army to meet his bold goal of giving all adult citizens a boost by the end the year. However, there are concerns that even more restrictions might be required if things go too slow.
Today the Ministry of Defence revealed that the 750 soldiers under Brigadier Phil Prosser (who promised wartime tactics to boost the vaccination programme) are helping to speed up the NHS’s expansion in England, Scotland, and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the body that represents GPs sent a letter to many doctors urging them all to participate in the booster drive. It warned the Omicron wave would not be suppressed without their support.
Royal College of GPs explained that while we fully recognize the fact that vaccination can be costly, it must also be justified. Yesterday night at 8pm, Johnson televised a booster jab message. In it, Johnson stated that the top-up jabs should be given first, over any other care. This raises concerns about the possibility of Covid being relegated to the NHS.
Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said today that while cancer care is not in danger but added that elective and non-urgent surgery might have to be postponed until after New Year’s.
An association of charities and the NHS has already applied for an additional 25,000 stewards prior to the Prime Minister’s promise of third doses of vaccines to all adults eligible by 2021. They will be responsible for managing the lines at vaccine centers and transporting patients who are most vulnerable.
England’s deputy chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam sent out letters over the weekend to St John’s Ambulance volunteers asking for them to take on more work shifts. His call to arms stated that it was going to take a Herculean effort.
Yet, the Dad’s Army will not be returning even though many retired doctors were asked to deliver last winter’s rollout.
Only the Prime Minister promised to train thousands more volunteers to increase jabs per day to reach 1 million. NHS bosses admitted that this will prove difficult.
Johnson made an unofficial pledge to create more centers, although the NHS has yet to say how many. Now, there are fewer mass hospitals, which were set up in stadiums or museums than in March, when the UK had reached its highest daily number of 850,000.
He announced the news to fury. Labour claimed it was warning since weeks about the collapse of the “wall of defense”.
Today was chaotic. Hundreds of people in desperate need of boosters were left standing for five hours, and twenty-somethings were turned down. The NHS booking system crashed due to the sheer volume of patients who wanted a jab. One person was told that the nearest clinic to them was 26 miles away.
Sajid Javid promises to throw everything at the booster drives. To keep the scheme running through the holidays, it will open Christmas Day. It will also be accessible during the week. Opening hours for clinics will be extended in an effort to make them more available.
Other experts suggested the scheme could also be turned to retired doctors.
Today the Ministry of Defence revealed that 750 soldiers under Brigadier Phil Prosser (pictured at January’s press conference) have been helping the NHS of England and Scotland plan for the rollout of vaccines.
More than 100 soldiers are supporting vaccine deployment in Scotland. 600 staff have been available for NHS England, to help administer vaccinations.
Above is the current speed of the booster program (green bars), and the future pace (red bars). NHS leaders warn it will be difficult to scale up the programme.
Figures reveal that 23,1248,829 people (or 40.2 percent) aged 12 or over have been given a boost jab. But, in order for the UK to achieve its target, it will be necessary to accelerate the rollout.
To give out vaccines, the Army should be brought in
Today, the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy confirmed that around 750 military personnel will be working with the health services to increase the vaccination rollout.
At the moment, more than 100 military personnel are involved in supporting the vaccination rollout in Scotland. In addition to this, 600 people have been provided to NHS England for administering vaccines.
Nearly 50 soldiers will support the planning of NHS England. There are 41 troops deployed in NHS England’s regions. Ten logistics specialists will also be based at London’s Health Service Headquarters.
Ben Wallace, Defense Secretary: “We quickly mobilized service personnel to help our dedicated health services accelerate the vaccine booster program.
“Our Armed Forces will assist in getting vaccines to arms as soon as possible, as we continue to support the UK’s response to the pandemic.”
British Army Officer to Lead Charge on Boosters
Also, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that mod had returned and also confirmed Brigadier Phil Prosser’s return.
Last winter, the 101 Logistic Brigade commander led troops in distributing Covid vaccines throughout the country. Aldershot’s brigade includes engineering, logistical and medical units. It was called upon to distribute PPE such as gloves, masks, and gowns at NHS hospitals during the Covid crisis.
Brig Prosser was an Iraqi/Afghan veteran.
This married Welshman was trained as a mechanic engineer. He studied at Cranfield University, before completing an MBA at Open University. His previous service was in the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
LinkedIn says he’s an experienced leader who’s skilled at crisis management and data analysis.
A keen cyclist himself, he also describes himself as a “retired runner” and is an avid fan of Scarlets Rugby team, located in Llanelli.
Following the UK’s confirmation of 1,239 more Omicron-related cases in the UK, the UK Covid Alert level was elevated to 4 from 3
The graph below shows Britain’s daily vaccinations. The graph shows an inability to roll out vaccines between September and Oct, which the opposition party today called a missed chance for Britain. Ex-Tories ministers, as well as the shadow health secretary, have raised questions about why less was being done to distribute the jabs in September.
NHS data indicates that people in their 40s and 50s who have received a Covid boost since September have double-digit numbers of eligible patients who still need to be given a third dose. Yesterday the NHS Online Booking System for Covid Boosters was made available to over-40s. 81% of those aged between 40 and 49 have not yet had a booster
Today, NHS chiefs urged Britons to apply for their Covid-19 booster vaccine again today or tomorrow.
All of NHS England has been placed on high alert since March, in response to the developments. Health bosses at level four believe that there’s a risk of Covid patients causing the shutdown of vital services.
Call for Volunteers to Help in the “Herculean” Campaign
Retired doctors have already returned to work, helping with the rollout. There has been no call from the NHS to assist with this effort. Jed Sheerin was able to provide vaccines and help at the vaccination centre.
KentOnline heard from him that he was “Working.” [at Kent Community Health Foundation Trust at their Woodville centre in Gravesend]It was an amazing experience to be a Covid vaccinator.
But, England’s vice chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam sent letters over the weekend to St John’s Ambulance volunteers, asking them for more shifts.
He said, “The vaccination program has been able to achieve levels of protection never before possible.” Your contribution was crucial, however we now need your assistance to continue to offer booster vaccinations at a rapid pace.
“It will take a Herculean effort, and I ask you to participate by doing vaccinator shifts as soon you can.
Thank you for your help. [help us]Ensure that boosters are delivered to save more lives and protect families and communities as well as our NHS.
Today, St John’s Ambulance issued an appeal to more volunteers as well as for those already certified vaccination volunteers who are willing to assist with the booster program.
Adam Williams, the charity’s Head of Community Response, said: ‘If everyone who trained to vaccinate with St John steps forward now, even for just two six-hour shifts, we will have more than enough people to do everything that’s required of us over the next few weeks and help the nation get ahead of the Omicron variant.’
Catherine Johnstone is the chief executive officer of Royal Voluntary Service. She warned that there were thousands of more volunteers needed for stewardship at vaccination centres in order to achieve the January deadline.
To move the vaccine programme ahead and to keep pace, the booster campaign will need at least 25.000 volunteers.
Prompt GPs to step forward and give boosters
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, and Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, have both urged doctors to help deliver booster jabs to ‘as many people as possible over the next few weeks’.
Top doctors stated that third doses were the NHS’s number one priority and that GPs are essential to reaching the December deadline.
They said Omicron’s spread is remarkable, with Omicron’s growth doubling in every two-three days. Omicron will continue to dominate the market for the next few days.
According to the pair, “Even with our pharmacist colleagues’ contributions and the work of mass vaccination specialists at hospitals-based clinics and in mass vaccination, our current efforts will not be enough to meet our targets of having the majority of people vaccinated within the next week.”
“It is clear that we wouldn’t have been able to mass deliver the first doses of chemotherapy without your efforts and the support of your team.
“Now, we have to use the expertise and experience of general practice in order to increase the vaccination effort again, if we want to replicate, at even higher speed, a comparable degree of public safety.”
Today, Javid said that hospitals may postpone elective procedures such as knee or hip replacements until next year if there are enough resources. However, he stated that the mission would not affect urgent care, such as those who have cancer symptoms.
However, when addressing the Commons today, he acknowledged that some of his urgent appointments would have to be abandoned.
He said to the MPs, “We’re moving NHS staff away non-urgent services.” This means all primary care services for the next two week will be focused on immediate clinical needs and vaccinations.
“And we may postpone some elective and urgent surgeries until the new year while we prioritize getting people the booster.”
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced tougher Covid restrictions, people waited outside Saint Thomas’ vaccination center in Westminster.
MANCHESTER (left), and SEVENOAKS (Kent (right): Britons lined up to get boosters today after Boris Johnson called all over-18s for their top-up jabs
MILTONKEYNES (left), SHEFFIELD, Britons in queue for booster jabs.
Christmas Day: More centers will be available
Johnson said that additional vaccination centers would be open. However, no details are available.
MailOnline has shown that there are now three times fewer mass sites open than in April at the peak of the rollout.
Experts have called on them to be opened again and to work to their maximum potential to make sure that all adults get the boost they need by the end.
Matthew Lesh from the Adam Smith Institute, the head of research, said to MailOnline that the new deadline for boosters on December 31 was necessary in order to save lives and reduce NHS pressure.
He stated, “We must put every effort at this endeavor,”
He said that as many mass vaccination centers as possible must be reopened. They should also operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week to ensure people get their jabs “at the most convenient time”.
He said, “Unlike last year, we can avoid a severe lockdown without overwhelming the NHS and without introducing new restrictions.” Boosters can be the solution to our misery, and they protect us all.
No10 confirmed that vaccine clinics will have extended opening hours to allow everyone to receive a second jab. It revealed that Britons can be jabbed at Christmas if needed.
When asked if the UK will offer jabs on Boxing Day and December 25, the spokesperson for the Prime Minister stated that ‘vaccinations will still be available throughout the Christmas period’, and that if demand is there the NHS would ‘find the way to meet it’.
David Davis, a former cabinet minister joined the chorus of Labour MPs criticizing the Government’s failure to increase the booster drive sooner this year.
Today, BBC Radio 4’s Mr. Davis said that they were always faced with a challenge [this winter]This is a fact that the NHS doesn’t seem to think much about.
“So why did we not do it all in September?”
“What really happened was that the rate fell to approximately 58,000 per day.
He continued, “The first million jabs per day I heard was September, and that was exactly the right time.”
“If we look at it, there is no need to guess anymore. Look at the last year’s Covid infections rate. It soared in September and died in October. Winter is the worst time for respiratory disease.
“Why haven’t you done this sooner?” If we thought this was important, then why didn’t this happen in September?
Can a 15 minute wait be avoided after vaccinations?
The Medics suggested that a 15-minute waiting period for vaccine-eligible patients would be eliminated to speed up booster rollout.
It is important that people wait until they are able to see a doctor to make sure they have not developed an allergy to the injection. It was introduced after two NHS staff suffered allergic reactions on the first day of the vaccine rollout last year.
Azeem Majeed is a professor at Imperial College London of Primary Care and Public Health. He wrote, “If the Government wishes to increase the Covid-19 vaccines, then the MHRA must urgently revise the 15-minute waiting period following vaccination.”
“This significantly reduces efficiency and throughput at vaccine clinics as well as the availability of vaccinations to the housebound.”
It is believed that the chief medical officers in the UK are reviewing the safety of reducing or eliminating waiting times.