Updated 26/02/2021 12:52 GMT
NHS Cohort Rules Are Risking Vaccine Wastage, Medics Fear
Those giving out the jab are calling on the NHS to let them vaccinate more widely as they run out of eligible patients.
The NHS could be forced to waste coronavirus vaccines if it does not offer leeway for medics to vaccinate beyond the designated at-risk groups.
The current cohort is group seven of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s priority list, which takes in 60- to 64-year-olds. Over-65s, health workers, the clinically vulnerable, and care home residents should already have been offered the jab.
But the success and speed of the vaccination programme has seen some of those delivering it left with empty clinics and spare doses after reaching the end of the list for their eligible cohorts, and now medics are asking for permission to continue vaccinating into the next group should that occur.
Matt Bagwell is the the Head of Entertainment at HuffPost UK, based in the London office. He also presents the weekly HuffPost entertainment show, Good Vibes Only (GVO) and regularly fronts the BUILD celebrity interview series. As well as working across Entertainment, Matt has also written around LGBTQ issues, which has led to appearances on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio and various panel discussions. He previously worked at Capital Radio, Smash Hits, Emap, Sky, and AOL UK. Matt can be reached at matt.bagwell@huffpost.com.
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Matt Hancock Pressed On Support For NHS Staff Beyond Asking Public To Clap
Frontline workers took 3.5m sick days last year as a result of mental ill health, and a pay rise is not thought to feature in the budget.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has faced criticism for a lack of mental health support for NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic as figures showed the damaging impact on frontline staff.
At the Downing Street press conference on Friday, the minister was asked by HuffPost UK’s Ned Simons what support he would give for NHS staff “other than asking the public to clap” in light of 3.5m sick days taken in England due to mental ill health between March and October last year.
So, Boris Johnson has presented his roadmap for bringing the country out of lockdown and back to normality, and once again it’s a case of delayed gratification – especially for single people.
According to the PM’s four-step plan to lifting restrictions, casual hook-ups, one-night stands and other casual ‘arrangements’ remain on hold until May 17, at the earliest.
Johnson stressed this timeline will be subject to review and could be delayed depending on vaccine rollout, a rise in Covid cases, and new variants.
So, if you’re looking to have legal, state-sanctioned intercourse – mmm, sexy! – with someone outside your household in your home or theirs, you may have to wait another three months minimum.