The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use by the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and is expected to be rolled out from
Monday 4 th January. The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine which will be
administered through a series of two injections. Taken together, the full orders of both the
newly approved vaccine and that already approved from Pfizer-BioNtech will be enough to
vaccinate the entire population of the UK.
Priority for the vaccine will follow that already in place although the two doses of the newly
approved vaccine will be administered with a gap of between 4 and 12 weeks. This decision
has been taken based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunisation. This highlighted the importance of providing some protection to as many
vulnerable people as possible and noted that an increased gap between the two doses did
not increase the risk of contracting severe forms of COVID-19 require hospitalisation.
The rollout of the newly approved vaccine will be facilitated by the greater ease with which
it can be stored and distributed across the country. Unlike the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, the
Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can be kept at normal fridge temperatures and, as it is UK-
made, it will be easier to transport across the country rather than being shipped from
overseas.
The news of a second approved vaccine will bring some much-needed relief both locally and
nationally amidst rising case numbers and additional pressures on the NHS. The total of
recorded coronavirus cases for Derby since the start of the pandemic surpassed 10,000 on
Tuesday, with an additional 150 cases being reported in the city for the previous 24 hours.
Amanda Solloway, the Member of Parliament for Derby North, commented on the news of a
second approved vaccine and the impact it will have in our local and national struggles
against coronavirus. Amanda said:
“This is tremendous news, a remarkable triumph for UK science and a significant boost in our
efforts to combat the virus. I would like to commend all the hard work that has been done by
everyone involved.
Over the last month we have seen a rise in the number of recorded cases across the country
and health and social care staff coming under additional pressures through an especially
difficult festive period. We remain indebted to all their dedicated efforts.
As a key part of the Government’s vaccination strategy, it will be able to provide significant
protection to a great number of people across the country, including those in the most
vulnerable groups. In doing so, it is a really important step in combating the virus, easing
some of the pressure on frontline services and in enabling us to get things back to normal as
soon as possible.
The rollout will begin on Monday and with easier storage in places like care homes, it can
really make a profound difference. The prospect for many of us to get a COVID-19 vaccine
soon is fantastic news as we start the new year.