LONDON (AP) – Britain opened seven mass vaccination centers on Monday as it headed into the most dangerous moment of the COVID-19 pandemic, with depleted medical staff swirling under crowded hospitals and increasing hospitalizations.
England’s medical director, Dr Chris Whitty, has warned people to strictly follow measures to prevent the virus from spreading while waiting their turn for a vaccine. The government is trying to vaccinate about 15 million people by February 15 – but Britain’s National Health Service is struggling to treat the sick now.
“I think everyone agrees that this is the most dangerous time we’ve ever had in terms of numbers in the NHS,” Whitty told the BBC.
People in the UK are already facing severe coronavirus restrictions, but political leaders are considering tightening the rules as a new, more transmissible version of COVID-19 exacerbates the health crisis. Leaders want to vaccinate the country out of the crisis, but with besieged hospitals, they need to persuade the public to take prevention methods more seriously.
“We do not rule out taking further action if necessary, but your actions can now make a difference: stay home!” Health Minister Matt Hancock told a news conference on Monday.
The UK, with over 81,000 deaths, has the deadliest number of viruses in Europe, and the number of hospital beds filled with COVID-19 patients has risen steadily for more than a month. English hospitals now treat 55% more cases of COVID-19 than during the first peak of the April pandemic.
“Everyone knows what they have to do. And I think that’s the key – minimize the number of contacts, “said Whitty.
Last week, England entered a third national blockade that closed all non-essential shops, schools, colleges and universities for at least six weeks. The blockade is slightly weaker than in the spring, with many more jobs and open businesses, but police across the country have issued fines for violating rules that require people to stay home, except for key reasons such as exercise. or grocery shopping.
The Conservative government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes the restrictions will reduce pressure on the NHS, while increasing a nationwide mass vaccination program, using vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and a second from Oxford-AstraZeneca. A third vaccine approved for use by Moderna will not arrive until spring.
Seven large-scale vaccination centers are opening, joining around 1,000 other sites across the country, including those in hospitals, general medicine clinics and pharmacies.
At a vaccination center in Stevenage, north London, the medical workers who administered the shots described the mood as marked by relief and joy.
“They were quite emotional, actually happy that there was some hope at the end of this tunnel, this very long tunnel for everyone,” said Caroline Shepherd, clinical expert for immunizations at the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust. “Some people (were) in tears, saying, ‘I’m very excited to be here, thank you very much, we’re very grateful to the NHS.’
Nearly 2.3 million people in the UK have so far received a COVID-19 vaccine. The government’s goal is to vaccinate the most vulnerable by mid-February, targeting people over the age of 70, front-line healthcare workers, residents and nursing home staff, and others who are particularly vulnerable. This will protect people who account for almost 90% of coronavirus-related deaths and can reduce restrictions, the government says.
“(But) we can’t be satisfied,” Johnson said during a visit to a vaccination center in Bristol. “The worst thing now would be for us to allow success in implementing a vaccine program to generate any satisfaction with the state of the pandemic.”
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Jill Lawless contributed to this report.
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