COVID-19 Vaccination In The United Kingdom
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The COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom is an ongoing mass
immunisation Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non-sel ...
campaign for
coronavirus disease 2019 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
(COVID-19) during the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...
.
Vaccinations began on 8 December 2020 after Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world (outside trials) to receive her first dose of two of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. There are three vaccines currently in use; following approval of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine ( Comirnaty), vaccines developed by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca ( Vaxzevria), and the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Moderna (
Spikevax The Moderna COVID19 vaccine (INN: elasomeran), sold under the brand name Spikevax, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American company Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomed ...
) have been rolled out. , there were four other COVID-19 vaccines on order for the programme, at varying stages of development. Phase 1 of the rollout prioritised the most vulnerable, in a schedule primarily based on age. The delivery plan was adjusted on 30 December 2020, delaying second doses so that more people could receive their first dose. A target to give all 15 million people in the top four priority groups their first dose by the middle of February 2021 was announced on 4 January 2021, and achieved on 14 February 2021. The next five groups were offered a vaccine by 15 April, and 32 million doses were administered by that point. In June 2021, all adults aged 18+ were able to get their first dose of a vaccine. The vaccine rollout was expanded to adolescent children and
booster dose A booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose. After initial immunization, a booster provides a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protec ...
s during the later months of that year. In response to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, third vaccine doses were made available to all adults in December 2021. The UK's rollout was among the fastest
in the world ''In the World'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Clifford Jordan which was recorded in 1969 and released on the Strata-East label in 1972. The album was rereleased on CD as part of ''The Complete Clifford Jordan Strata-East Sessions'' by Mosaic Re ...
with among the highest uptake in its first few months, although vaccination rates had slowed down or plateaued by autumn 2021 due to lower uptake in younger age groups. Polling suggests the UK's level of
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy Anti-vaccination activists and other people in many countries have spread a variety of unfounded conspiracy theories and other misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines based on misunderstood or misrepresented science, religion, exaggerated cl ...
is among the world's lowest. Vaccination sites include GP practices, care homes and pharmacies, as well as hospitals. , there were 2,057 vaccination sites operating in England. There are over 1,100 vaccination sites operating in Scotland. As of 25 May 2021, there were 462 vaccination sites operating in Wales. Additional sites, including large venues such as sports stadia, entered the programme from 11 January 2021, with seven mass vaccination centres opening in England initially and seven in Wales. New guidance for allergy sufferers, antibody tests, new variants of SARS-CoV-2 (
B.1.1.7 The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. It was estimated to be 40–80% more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (with most estimates occupying the middle to higher end of this range). It was first detecte ...
and
B.1.617 Lineage B.1.617 is a lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It first came to international attention in late March 2021 after the newly established INSACOG performed genome sequencing on positive samples throughout various Indian ...
) and the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in younger adults have been issued throughout the programme. The programme also includes procurement of vaccines for
British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...
and Crown Dependencies. According to a June 2022 study published in '' The Lancet'', COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom prevented an additional 507,000 deaths from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021.


Background


Responsibility for deployment

On 28 November 2020 the new role of
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Primary and Public Health is a position in the Department of Health and Social Care in the Government of the United Kingdom. The role has previously been known as the Minister of State for Public Hea ...
was set up within the Department of Health and Social Care in the Government of the United Kingdom, with Nadhim Zahawi the first to take office.


Vaccines on order

There are several
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
s at various stages of development around the world. By February 2021 the British Government had placed orders for a combined total of 457 million doses across 8 different vaccines, and as of 23 August 2021 this had increased to more than 540 million doses. This does not equate to the number of people that can be immunised as most vaccines require more than one dose. In September 2021, the UK government cancelled their 190-million-dose
Valneva __NOTOC__ Valneva SE is a French biotech company headquartered in Saint-Herblain, France, developing and commercializing vaccines for infectious diseases. It has manufacturing sites in Livingston, Scotland; Solna, Sweden, and Vienna, Austria, wit ...
order, citing supply concerns. The breakdown of the vaccines currently being considered for the vaccination programme is as follows:


History


Regulatory approvals

On 2 December 2020, the UK became the first country to give approval for use of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, later branded as Comirnaty. This was in the form of a temporary authorisation given by the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care in the United Kingdom which is responsible for ensuring that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably ...
(MHRA) under Regulation 174 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Regulatory approval is reserved under the devolution settlement. The first batch arrived in the UK the next day and was initially stored at an undisclosed central hub before being distributed to hospital vaccination centres across the country. On 30 December 2020, the UK also became the first country to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. On 8 January 2021, the
Moderna vaccine The Moderna COVID19 vaccine (INN: elasomeran), sold under the brand name Spikevax, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American company Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedi ...
was approved as the third vaccine to enter the programme. On 28 January 2021, the results of the
Novavax vaccine The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, sold under the brand names Nuvaxovid and Covovax, among others, is a subunit COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Full results from Nuvaxovid's piv ...
trials, which were undertaken in the UK and in South Africa, showed it was 95.6% effective against the original SARS-CoV-2 strains and 85.6% against the
Variant of Concern 202012/01 The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. It was estimated to be 40–80% more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (with most estimates occupying the middle to higher end of this range). It was first detecte ...
, then prevalent in the UK. The company stated it had begun the process of requesting clearance for use in the UK. The Novavax vaccine was the first to be tested in clinical trials for efficacy against the UK's prevailing Variant of Concern 202012/01. In clinical trial subjects without HIV infections, the vaccine was also 60% effective against the
501.V2 variant The Beta variant, (B.1.351), was a Variant (biology), variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. One of several Variants of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 variants initially believed to be of particular importance, it was first detected i ...
, a SARS-CoV-2 strain first detected in South Africa. On 28 May 2021, the Janssen vaccine was the fourth vaccine to be approved in the UK. On 3 February 2022, the
Novavax vaccine The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, sold under the brand names Nuvaxovid and Covovax, among others, is a subunit COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Full results from Nuvaxovid's piv ...
was the fifth vaccine to be approved in the UK. On 14 April 2022, the UK became the first country to approve the Valneva vaccine. This is the sixth COVID-19 vaccine that the MHRA has approved.


Rollout timeline

This timeline lists the general availability of vaccine appointments in England, by date. The dates differed slightly in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (not listed here). On 8 December 2020, Margaret Keenan, 90, became the first person in the world (outside trials) to receive the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine as the rollout of vaccinations began. William Shakespeare, 81, from Warwickshire became the second person, and the first man, to be vaccinated. Both vaccinations took place at
University Hospital Coventry University Hospital Coventry is a large National Health Service (NHS) hospital situated in the Walsgrave on Sowe area of Coventry, West Midlands, England, north-east of the city centre. It is part of the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwi ...
. On 4 January 2021, Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person (outside trials) to receive the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccination took place at the
Churchill Hospital The Churchill Hospital is a teaching hospital in Oxford, England. It is managed by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. History The original hospital on the site was built in 1940 with the intention of providing medical aid to ...
, Oxford. England Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said this was a "pivotal moment" in the programme as this vaccine was easier to transport and store, requiring only ordinary fridge temperatures. Six hospitals in England began the Oxford vaccine rollout using the first batch of around 530,000 doses. The Queen and Prince Philip, then 94 and 99 respectively, received their vaccinations within their Windsor Castle residence on 9 January 2021. Prince William cited their example, a week later, to encourage everyone to take up the vaccine after hearing that a degree of vaccine hesitancy had set in. The rollout to the over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable began on 18 January 2021, representing the fourth priority group and the final group needed to complete the government's initial 15 February target. Over 20 million first doses were administered by 28 February 2021. On 19 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at
St. Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foun ...
. By this point, more than 26 million people had received their first dose of a COVID-19 Vaccine. On 7 April 2021, Elle Taylor, 24, became the first person in the UK (outside trials) to receive the
Moderna vaccine The Moderna COVID19 vaccine (INN: elasomeran), sold under the brand name Spikevax, is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American company Moderna, the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and the Biomedi ...
. The vaccine was administered on Miss Taylor, an unpaid carer from
Ammanford Ammanford ( cy, Rhydaman) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, with a population of 5,411 at the 2011 census. It is a former coal mining town. The built-up area had a population of 7,945 with the wider urban area even bigger. Acco ...
, at Glangwili General Hospital, Carmarthen.


Guidance

On 9 December 2020, the MHRA issued updated guidance, after two cases of anaphylaxis and another case of a possible allergic reaction following the vaccination. In the statement,
June Raine Dame June Munro Raine (' Harris; born 1952), is a British pharmacologist who is currently serving as the Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom. Raine spent much of her career in ...
, MHRA Chief Executive said: Raine went on to say that such side effects have been known to happen with any vaccine but are "very rare". She continued to confirm that existing appointments should not be cancelled but people with a history of serious allergies should discuss this beforehand. Furthermore, she expressed confidence in the safety, assessment and monitoring of the vaccine. Guidance was given that vaccine recipients should be monitored for at least 15 minutes after vaccination and centres must be prepared for such events including the availability of an anaphylaxis pack. The two people affected were quickly treated and recovered well. The Department of Health and Social Care confirm that although the vaccine triggers the creation of
antibodies An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
, vaccination does not affect the result of an antibody test to detect whether someone has previously contracted the virus. This is because there are differences between the antibodies triggered and those being tested for. , Public Health England say there is "no evidence" to suggest that the recently identified
Variant of Concern 202012/01 The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern. It was estimated to be 40–80% more transmissible than the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (with most estimates occupying the middle to higher end of this range). It was first detecte ...
(a new variant of SARS-CoV-2) would be resistant to the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine currently being used in the programme, and people should still be protected. Further laboratory work is still being prioritised to increase current understanding of this. , the JCVI issued advice to the government stating "that it is preferable for adults aged under 30 with no underlying conditions to be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine where available, following reports of extremely rare blood clots in a very small number of people." , the JCVI issued advice to the government stating "the JCVI has advised a preference for adults aged 30 to 39 without underlying health conditions to receive an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine – where available and only if this does not cause substantial delays in being vaccinated, on extremely rare cases of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine." it is expected that vaccination will become mandatory for those working in aged care (excluding those medically exempt).


Companies and organisations involved

In the months before approval of the first vaccine, the
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, independent expert advisory committee that advises United Kingdom health departments on immunisation, making recommendations concern ...
(an independent group of experts) gave advice to the
Vaccine Taskforce The Vaccine Taskforce in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was set up in April 2020 by the Second Johnson ministry, in collaboration with Chief Scientific Advisor Patrick Vallance and Chief Medical Officers (United Kingdom ...
on the groups of people that should be prioritised for vaccination. The taskforce was formed in May 2020 to lead efforts to develop, manufacture and procure vaccines for the UK and globally, and was led until the end of 2020 by biotech venture capital manager
Kate Bingham Dame Catherine Elizabeth Bingham (born 19 October 1965), known as Kate Bingham, is a British venture capitalist. She is a managing partner at a venture capital firm, SV Health Investors. In 2020, Bingham chaired the UK Government's Vaccine T ...
. As with other licensed vaccines, the
National Institute for Biological Standards and Control The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) is a government agency that works in the field of biological standardisation and is part of the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It ...
(part of the MHRA) reviews the production process and the manufacturer's quality control, and tests each batch of vaccine. Again in common with other vaccines and medicines, the MHRA monitors adverse reactions by collecting details submitted by healthcare workers, carers and the public through the Yellow Card Scheme; the agency set up a web reporting site specific to the COVID-19 vaccines. The creation of the
Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre The Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre (VMIC) is a vaccine research and manufacturing facility under construction in Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, England. Announced in December 2018 and originally planned to be ...
was announced in December 2018, to provide the UK with a vaccine development and manufacturing facility, and its building is under construction at
Harwell Harwell may refer to: People * Harwell (surname) * Harwell Hamilton Harris (1903–1990), American architect Places * Harwell, Nottinghamshire, England, a hamlet *Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, a village **RAF Harwell, a World War II RAF airfield, ...
with planned completion brought forward from 2022 to 2021. The academic/industrial consortium assisted with development and early production of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine during 2020. Services contractor
Serco Serco Group plc is a British company with headquarters based in Hook, Hampshire, England. Serco primarily derives income as a contractor for the provision of government services, most prominently in the sectors of health, transport, justice, i ...
has a role in the deployment, as part of a contract which was extended for six months in June 2021 at a cost of £424million. The
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
have assisted with the vaccine rollout through the COVID Support Force in all parts of the UK. This has involved assistance with planning, the construction of vaccination centres and the contribution of staff to administer vaccines. This support is provided through the provisions of the military aid to the civil authorities (MACA) mechanism and is part of the military's wider contribution under Operation Rescript.


Planning


Delivery plan

During the rollout of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine first doses, the UK government announced on 30 December 2020 that future deployment would focus on that initial dose, rather than giving the required two doses as quickly as possible. The announcement of this plan coincided with the approval of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, and so represents the strategy to rollout the two vaccines. The government stated that prioritising the first dose was on advice from the
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, independent expert advisory committee that advises United Kingdom health departments on immunisation, making recommendations concern ...
(JCVI) and further assured that everyone would still receive their second dose within 12 weeks of their first. Despite this, Margaret Keenan, who was the first person outside of trials to receive a dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, returned to hospital on 29 December 2020 for her follow-up injection. This was exactly three weeks after her first, in accordance with the original plan until the announcement of the new strategy. By receiving her second dose, Keenan completed the vaccination process. The new plan to increase the gap between first and second doses from 3 to 12 weeks, was criticised as "unfair" by the
British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...
(BMA) on 31 December 2020, as appointments booked for 4 January 2021 or later would have to be rescheduled. In response, all four Chief Medical Officers (CMO), plus England's Deputy CMO
Jonathan Van-Tam Sir Jonathan Stafford Nguyen-Van-Tam (born 2 February 1964) is a British healthcare professional specialising in influenza, including its epidemiology, transmission, vaccinology, antiviral drugs and pandemic preparedness. After hospital wor ...
, signed an open letter explaining the policy shift. They said by prioritising first doses, more people would have substantial protection faster, and the second dose adds relatively minor additional protection in the short term. They went on to say that for every 1,000 people given the second 'booster' dose, 1,000 new people would not be able to have up to 70% protection and would instead remain totally unprotected.


Delivery targets

During his address announcing England's third national lockdown on 4 January 2021, Boris Johnson indicated a preliminary target for the vaccination programme, saying: He went on to confirm this would include all elderly residents of care homes and indeed everyone over the age of 70, as well as all frontline health and social care workers, and all those who are "clinically extremely vulnerable". Vaughan Gething,
Minister for Health and Social Services The Minister for Health and Social Services () is a cabinet position in the Welsh Government, currently held by Eluned Morgan MS. The minister is responsible for the running of the National Health Service in Wales, all aspects of public healt ...
in the Welsh Government, matched England's targets by announcing that all people in groups 1–4 would be offered a first dose by mid February. A vaccination plan was published by the Scottish Government on 14 January. Part of this plan, subsequently withdrawn after objections from central government, projected the numbers of doses of vaccines delivered weekly to Scotland from the British Government until May, estimating that by mid-March there would be enough doses there to supply every person in the priority groups with their first doses, and enough doses by July to supply every adult with both doses. Extrapolating from these figures, ''
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
'' estimated that supply for the UK overall would be sufficient to meet the British Government's aim of immunising all 15 million priority individuals in the country by mid-February, and vaccinating all adults in Britain with their first dose by mid-July.


Vaccine priority groups


Phase 1

The JCVI advised the governments on how to prioritise the rollout. The top priority for the programme was to prevent deaths and to ensure that the National Health Service (NHS) would not be overwhelmed, and as older people are more at risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19, prioritisation was primarily based on age. The table shows the priority groups for the first phase of the roll-out. An estimate of the number of people in each group in the United Kingdom is also shown (but note that some people fall into more than one group). "Clinically extremely vulnerable" is defined as: * solid organ transplant recipients * people with specific cancers: ** people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy ** people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical
radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
** people with cancers of the blood or
bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...
such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment ** people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer ** people having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors ** people who have had
bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid tissue found within the spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It is composed of hematopoietic ce ...
or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs * people with severe respiratory conditions including all
cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...
, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) * people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell disease) * people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection * people with spleen problems, e.g. splenectomy (spleen removal) * adults with
Down's syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual disa ...
* adults on
dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...
or with
chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vo ...
(stage 5) * other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. Women who are pregnant and children under 16 are not defined as clinically extremely vulnerable for the purpose of the vaccination programme. Polish group Omni Calculator developed a tool which estimates when individuals will receive the vaccine, based on age, employment, and health status. "People with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality" is defined as: * people with long-term lung conditions (such as severe asthma, COPD,
bronchiectasis Bronchiectasis is a disease in which there is permanent enlargement of parts of the bronchi, airways of the lung. Symptoms typically include a chronic cough with sputum, mucus production. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, hemoptysis, co ...
and
cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...
) * people with long-term conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels (such as congenital heart disease,
heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
and peripheral arterial disease): * people with diabetes * people with
chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vo ...
* people with long-term liver conditions (such as cirrhosis and hepatitis) * people with conditions affecting the brain or nerves (such as dementia, Parkinson's disease, motor neurone disease,
multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
, epilepsy, cerebral palsy or
stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
) * people with learning disabilities * people with a condition or treatment that makes you more likely to get infections (such as HIV or some treatments for
lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Comm ...
, psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis) * people with severe mental health conditions (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) * people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell disease) * people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection * People with severe obesity (a BMI of 40 or above)


Phase 2

The JCVI released an interim statement on 26 February 2021 regarding the rollout of the vaccine in Phase 2. It was decided that Phase 2 would not rollout by occupation or ethnicity but instead solely on age. The order therefore in Phase 2 is as follows: The JCVI also noted that males from BAME backgrounds and those with a BMI over 30 were at an increased risk, and therefore stated that it "strongly advises that individuals in these groups promptly take up the offer of vaccination when they are offered", with local officials advised to "promote vaccination in these groups". Poorer neighbourhoods should also be subject to an outreach programme by local officials. The UK government said it aimed to offer all adults over the age of 18 a vaccine before 31 July 2021. The decision not to prioritise people in high-risk public-facing occupations such as teachers, police officers and bus drivers was criticised by the
Association of School and College Leaders The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), formerly the Secondary Heads Association (SHA), is a UK professional association for leaders of schools and colleges. History The Association of Head Mistresses (AHM) was founded in 1874. The ...
, NASUWT and the Metropolitan Police Federation.
Asthma UK Asthma UK is a British charity based in London. History The Asthma Research Council was started in 1927. At that time the annual income was between £1,000 and £4,000 a year. One of the first donations was used to pay for special asthma clinics ...
also criticised the lack of prioritisation of those with mild or moderate asthma in either Phase 1 or Phase 2. JCVI chair
Wei Shen Lim Wei Shen Lim is a consultant respiratory physician and honorary professor of medicine at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, England. Lim graduated from University of Nottingham Medical School in 1991 and has been on the specialist registe ...
defended the rollout plan, stating "speed of deployment is the most important factor" and that rollout by occupation would slow down vaccinations.


Juveniles

Healthy individuals under the age of 18, and all under 16s, were not part of the initial vaccine rollout, on the grounds of their relatively low risk from the virus and the then limited availability of evidence relating to COVID-19 vaccines' effects on young people. On 19 July 2021, the vaccine rollout was expanded to vulnerable adolescents from the age of 12 and young people in the three months prior to their 18th birthday. They were joined by all 16- and 17-year-olds on 4 August. The Vaccinations Committee did not endorse vaccines for healthy 12- to 15-year-olds, on the grounds of only 'marginal gain' to the health of individual children. However, the UK's chief medical officers agreed to the rollout of a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine to this age group on 13 September in order to reduce disruption to education. Second doses, three months or more after their first, were expanded to this age range on 29 November. On 15 and 16 February 2022, plans were announced across the UK to expand the Pfizer vaccine rollout to children from the age of five; the Vaccinations Committee approved this, taking into account an estimate that over 85% of all children aged 5 to 11 had experienced COVID-19 infection by the end of the previous month. That plan was later reversed, with no children under 12 being eligible after 1 September 2022 except for those in high-risk groups.


Booster doses

In September 2021,
booster dose A booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose. After initial immunization, a booster provides a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protec ...
s began to be given to members of the following groups, six months after their second vaccine dose: * people over the age of 50 * vulnerable people over 16 * health and social care workers * adult members of the households of immune-suppressed individuals It was decided in November that healthy people in their forties would also be eligible for a booster vaccination. Later that month, booster vaccinations were expanded to everyone over the age of 18 who had received their second dose more than three months earlier, whilst some people with severe immunosuppression became eligible for a fourth dose in response to the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. In December, the booster programme was further expanded to offer all adults a booster dose by the end of 2021. Further booster doses were offered from February 2022 for people who had received their previous dose around six months earlier and were: * aged 75 years or older, * resident in a care home for older adults, * aged 12 years or over and immunosuppressed. From autumn 2022, further booster doses are being offered to: * residents and staff in care homes for older adults, * front line health and social care workers, * people aged 50 years or older, * people aged 5 years or older who are in a clinical risk group or who have immunosuppressed household contacts, * people aged 16 years or older who are carers.


Progress to date

By the end of the first full week of the programme, up to 15 December 2020, 137,897 people had been vaccinated with the first dose in the two-dose regimen: 108,000 in England, 7,897 in Wales, 4,000 in Northern Ireland and 18,000 in Scotland. By 5 January 2021, 1.3 million people across the UK had received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which included more than 650,000 people over 80, representing around 23% of that age band in England. , a cumulative total of 49,252,939 people had received the first dose: 41,263,377 in England; 1,316,225 in Northern Ireland; 4,270,126 in Scotland and 2,403,211 in Wales. In addition, a cumulative total of 45,239,759 people had received the second dose: 37,918,254 in England; 1,221,045 in Northern Ireland; 3,868,656 in Scotland and 2,231,804 in Wales. As at 3 August 2022, a cumulative total of 53,710,109 people (80.07% of the entire UK population) had received the first dose, a cumulative total of 50,483,527 people (75.26%) had received the second dose, a cumulative total of 40,196,024 people (59.92%) had received the booster or third dose, and a cumulative total of 6,200,537 people (9.29%) had received a fourth dose; the total number of vaccinations given (first, second, third and fourth doses) were 150,590,197. Government vaccination updates increased from weekly to daily, from 11 January 2021.


Vaccination centres

More than 70 sites across the UK were in operation at the end of the programme's first full week (15 December 2020). Whilst hospitals formed the centres initially, GP-led centres also started later in that week. Care home locations in England entered the programme on Wednesday 16 December. "Hundreds" of residents received the first dose in seven care homes in
Slough Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...
, Aintree,
Herne Bay Herne Bay is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in South East England. It is north of Canterbury and east of Whitstable. It neighbours the ancient villages of Herne and Reculver and is part of the City of Canterbury local government ...
,
Thanet Thanet may refer to: *Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England *Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College *Thanet Canal, ...
,
Chalfont St Peter Chalfont St Peter is a large village and civil parish in southeastern Buckinghamshire, England. It is in a group of villages called The Chalfonts which also includes Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont. The villages lie between High Wycombe a ...
, Droitwich and
Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
. Larger care homes (50 to 70 beds) were to be prioritised. The Chelsea Pensioners received their first dose at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on 23 December. Large venues such as sports stadia and
exhibition centres A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
started to be used as mass vaccination centres from 11 January 2021, with seven such centres opening in England at Millennium Point, Birmingham; Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol;
ExCeL London ExCeL London (an abbreviation for Exhibition Centre London) is an exhibition centre, international convention centre and former hospital in the Custom House, Newham, Custom House area of London Borough of Newham, Newham, East London. It is sit ...
; Manchester Tennis and Football Centre; Centre for Life, Newcastle; Robertson House,
Stevenage Stevenage ( ) is a large town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, about north of London. Stevenage is east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M), between Letchworth Garden City to the north and Welwyn Garden City to the south. In 1946, Stevena ...
; and
Epsom Downs Racecourse Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse on the hills associated with Epsom in Surrey, England which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. The "Downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course, which has a crowd capacity of 13 ...
, Surrey. Seven mass vaccination centres were initially opened in Wales with that number increasing to 34 by February alongside 17 acute and community hospital sites. Over 400 GP-led centres were rolling out the vaccination in Wales by the start of February. High street pharmacies in England started to administer the vaccine from 14 January 2021, with 6 chosen for the roll out initially. Places of worship also started to be used as large vaccination centres, with
Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury. The buildi ...
and Lichfield Cathedral among the first to make provisions from 15 January 2021; with the Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham becoming the first mosque to offer the service on 21 January 2021.


Popup events and mobile centres

Numerous
popup Popup, Pop up or pop-up may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Pop Up'' (album), a 2007 album by Yelle * ''Pop Up'' (video game), a video game also known as ''Bumpy'' * Pop-up book, a book with three-dimensional pages Computing * Pop- ...
vaccination events took place during the programme. Venues included
Mosques A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...
, Churches, and
community centres Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
, and food banks. Tottenham Hotspur stadium hosted three vaccine events delivered by Morris House Group Practice during 2021 delivering over 10,000 vaccines and pushing Haringey to the top of the vaccine delivery at that time. Many areas operated vaccine buses to increase convenience and enable patients not able to travel to be vaccinated.


Locations

, there were a total of 1,992 vaccination sites operating in England, These were made up as follows: File:Coronavirus vaccination centres in Wales 15-01-21.png, Vaccination site locations in Wales, as at 15 January 2021 File:Map of COVID-19 vaccination sites in England.pdf, Vaccination site locations in England, as at 5 February 2021 File:Scotland COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan 14 January 2021 (page 11 crop) - Centres Map.jpg, Vaccination site locations in Scotland, as at 14 January 2021


Public opinion


Vaccine hesitancy

Polling suggested that levels of vaccine hesitancy were fairly low in the UK compared to other parts of the world. YouGov's first survey on the subject in the middle of November 2020 suggested that 15% of British adults would refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine which had fallen to just 6% (the lowest of any country polled) by April 2021. Research by Ipsos MORI in May suggested that 99% of people who had received their first dose intended to take their second and 95% were certain they would. Whilst, indicating that 94% of the wider public had either had their first dose or intended to do when offered. Research by the Office for National Statistics suggested that 96% of people over 16 had a positive attitude to the COVID-19 vaccine in early summer 2021. Though a large majority of people in all social groups were willing to take the vaccine, polling suggested that some demographics were more likely to display reluctance than others. Younger individuals were more likely to be uncertain than their elders. Whilst, members of ethnic minority groups were more likely to be reluctant than white responders. The November 2020 YouGov poll suggested that "leave" voters in the
2016 EU referendum The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...
were less likely to want the vaccine than "Remain" voters though this gap had closed by the spring. Areas which showed higher levels of hesitancy towards the start of vaccine process included Inner East London, Outer West London,
North East England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authorit ...
, West Wales and the Valleys though reluctance fell significantly in these areas as the months went by. Though the previously cited survey sampled public opinion in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) one poll conducted in September 2021 suggested that the level of vaccine hesitancy in Northern Ireland was fairly high in comparison.


Impact on political attitudes

It was suggested by commentators that the vaccine rollout strengthened support for the government with the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
enjoying an uptick in support in polls of voting intentions around spring 2021. The so called "vaccine bounce" was widely cited by observers as one of the reasons for the party's gains at
local elections In many parts of the world, local elections take place to select office-holders in local government, such as mayors and councillors. Elections to positions within a city or town are often known as "municipal elections". Their form and conduct vary ...
in May 2021. Polling at around this time suggested that 85% of British voters felt their government had handled the vaccine rollout well in comparison to less than a fifth of their French and German counterparts. Analysts also suggested that this phenomenon may have contributed to a waning in support for
Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...
in the run up to the
2021 Scottish parliament election The 2021 Scottish Parliament election took place on 6 May 2021, under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. All 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament were elected in the sixth election since the parliament was re-established in 1999. The ele ...
. The 'Mood of the Nation 2021' report by the consultancy firm BritainThinks based on research conducted in October and November 2021 found that whilst the optimistic mood around COVID-19 of the summer had rebaited the successful vaccine rollout remained one of few present day subjects which the general public in the UK cited as providing a sense of national pride.


See also

*
History of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom This article outlines the history of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (granular timelines can be found here). Though later reporting indicated that there may have been some cases dating from late 2019, COVID-19 was confirmed to be spr ...
*
Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (July–December 2020) The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom from July 2020 to December 2020. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern I ...
* Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (January–June 2021) *
Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (July–December 2021) The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom from July 2021 to December 2021. There are significant differences in the legislation and the reporting between the countries of the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ir ...
*
British government response to the COVID-19 pandemic In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviru ...
* Deployment of COVID-19 vaccines *
European Commission–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine dispute A dispute broke out in January 2021 between the European Commission and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, AstraZeneca AB about the provision of COVID-19 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, in February, spilled out into a dispute ove ...


Notes


References


External links


COVID-19 vaccination programme (''Gov.uk'')

COVID-19 vaccination programme (''NHS England'')

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine (''NHS Scotland'')

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programme (''Welsh Government'')

COVID-19 vaccination programme in Northern Ireland (''NI direct'')

COVID-19 United Kingdom government statistics

Adverse reactions reports
– Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Covid-19 vaccination tracker in the United Kingdom – with historical data grouped by day
{{portalbar, COVID-19 Vaccination programme United Kingdom United Kingdom responses to the COVID-19 pandemic