Speaking to Sky News, the Minister of Health praised the news received from studies of vaccination against Corona virus in the United States and the United Kingdom, and said that there is “hope” for a vaccine to be launched in Britain within “weeks” only. He said, “It is clear that the Covid vaccine has not been signed yet but there are encouraging signs of hope. We heard again this week good news for the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Pfizer vaccine as well.”
“ So the NHS is putting these plans in place to be able to run a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination program alongside the largest flu vaccination program in history.
“So it’s a big job but the NHS is up to it.”
When asked whether the United Kingdom was “weeks” away from receiving a universal vaccine against Covid, he said: “This is the hope.
“Nothing is guaranteed yet. In fact, high numbers are more likely to be announced if they are announced in the New Year and not before Christmas because we are so determined that any vaccination program will be safe.
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“ But even so, over the past few weeks we have received really encouraging news about the major vaccinations.
“Meanwhile, it is important that people continue to follow the rules.”
Hancock added that there are signs that Coronavirus cases in Britain are starting to flatten as a result of the current lockdown, paving the way for the Christmas period with less stringent restrictions.
“There are encouraging signs that the number of cases began Baltstah and closure, which we introduced earlier this month, it works,” he said, adding that he is working on an approach at the level of the United Kingdom rules Christmas holiday.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be like a regular Christmas, there should be rules in place, but we hope they allow a little more than the regular Christmas that people really look forward to.”
The government announced earlier this year that this winter would see the largest flu vaccination program in UK history, with sufficient supplies to vaccinate 30 million people throughout the flu season.
People over the age of 50 will be entitled to a free flu vaccine starting early next month as part of the launch of the expanded vaccine to counter the “dual threats” of influenza and the Coronavirus.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that this latter age group can be vaccinated by a GP or pharmacist in England from December 1.
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The DHSC said the flu vaccine intake this year was higher in all high-risk groups except for pregnant women, compared to the same period last year.
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van Tamm has urged all eligible to get an injection.
He said: “Influenza vaccination is a crucial tool, this and every winter to prevent dangerous diseases and the possibility of thousands of people entering hospitals.
“I urge all people who qualify for the flu vaccine, including the new group of 50 to 64 years old, to book their appointments as soon as possible.”
DHSC said GPs and pharmacists could order additional stocks from the government supply of more than seven million vaccines to vaccinate this last batch.
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