Coronavirus: UK to kickstart world’s first Covid vaccination rollout in less than 24 hours

Batches of the world’s first coronavirus vaccine are arriving at dozens of UK hospitals as medics prepare to administer the first doses to patients tomorrow.

With the world watching the launch of the immunisation programme, early images from south London show staff “unloading doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab from boxes at Croydon University Hospital before placing them in freezers on the site”, Sky News reports.

People aged over 80 will be the first to get the jabs – which must be stored at temperatures of about minus 70C – but have been told “not to worry if they are not called up to receive the vaccine this month”, the broadcaster adds.

Urging eligible patients to “hang fire” if they have not yet been invited to be immunised, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said that “for the vast, vast, vast majority of people, this will be done in January, February and March”.

Once vaccinated, patients will be given immunisation cards that list the vaccine name, date of immunisation and batch number of each of the doses given. They also feature a reminder to “keep this record card in your purse or wallet”.

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As The Guardian reports, the rollout of the vaccine is the “largest and most complex vaccination campaign in the country’s history”.

NHS staff worked “through the weekend to prepare immunisation clinics and compile lists of who should be invited to have the jab first”, the paper adds. And “to ensure no vaccine or time is wasted, spare appointments will be offered to those healthcare workers who are at high risk from the coronavirus”.