Covid vaccine could be launched at RVI next week, followed by Freeman Hospital and Northsteinside Hospital

The Covid vaccine may be given at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle next week.

According to an NHS presentation from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the city center hospital will be the first in the country. vaccine Hub – After the UK approves use Pfizer / BioNTech Wednesday vaccine.

James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough vaccine In the first week of rollout, under the latest plans.

North Tyneside General Hospital and Freeman Hospital are designated as locations for the second week of vaccination.

The program expects patients over the age of 80, NHS staff, and caregivers to receive jabs.

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital Trust, which operates RVI and Freeman, is the only northeastern site listed on the 53 NHS Trust Vaccine Hubs, and there was concern that there would be no other hospital locations throughout the region.

However, Newcastle will lead the development of hubs across northeastern and northern Cambria that “support mass vaccination of populations across the region,” according to a report from Trust CEO Dame Jackie Daniel last week. Was chosen for.

In the NHS presentation, White Haven or Carlyle are listed as hospital hubs during the first week of the vaccination process.

Large vaccination centers across the country are also lined up, and sites such as conference centers and sports venues are used to ensure greater access to the jab.

A presentation slide on “How Rollouts Work” was seen by health authorities in the northeast on Thursday morning.

Dame Jackie’s report states: “In October, Newcastle Hospital was appointed as the lead provider of development and delivery of Covid-19 vaccine hubs for northeastern and northern Cambria.

“The vaccine program is the next major step in the national and regional response to the virus, and the main purpose of the Vaccine Hub is to develop systems and processes that support mass vaccination of populations in all regions.

“The first vaccine reported the results of clinical trials in mid-November, and we took the initial steps necessary for operational planning so that we could mobilize as soon as the vaccine became available.

“Multiple experts and program teams from multiple institutions come together to plan the mechanism of vaccination programs in the community and work closely with partners throughout the ICS (Integrated Care System), especially with primary care colleagues. .care.”

The newly approved Pfizer vaccine requires a very low temperature of -70 ° C and caution when moving.

Health directors say this means that jabs will first be delivered from the “hospital hub” before vaccination services in other areas are expanded.

A spokesman for the NHS England said more information about the Covid vaccination site would be “coming soon.”

On Wednesday, Sir Simon Stevens, head of the UK NHS, explained how the deployment of the new Pfizer vaccine was “logistically complex” and that “gradual delivery” was part of the plan. I made it clear.

He states: “Next week, about 50 hospital hubs across the UK will provide vaccines to people over the age of 80 and begin caring for home staff and others identified by the JCVI (The Institute for Genomic Research and Immunization). I will.

“Usually they may be people who were already down to come to the hospital next week to book an outpatient.

“So if you’re going to be one of those people next week, or in the weeks that follow, the hospital will get in touch with you-you don’t have to do anything about it.”

NHS bosses also said that most vaccinations are given to at-risk populations from January to March or April.

The Joint Committee on Immunization and Immunization (JCVI) advises the government on who should be vaccinated first. Its priority list was confirmed Wednesday morning.

The people in the care facility and the staff working there are at the top of the list.

Health and social care workers and adults who are clinically very vulnerable due to their health status are also a high priority.

The JCVI priority list is as follows:

1. Residents of long-term care facilities for the elderly and their caregivers
2. People over 80 and frontline healthcare professionals
3. Those over 75 years old
4. People over 70 and clinically very vulnerable individuals
5. Those over 65 years old
6. People aged 16-64 years in underlying health with a high risk of serious illness and death
7. Those over 60 years old
8. Those over 55 years old
9. Those over 50 years old