If, If, If, If . . . Boris lays out best case timetable to vaccinate all 13.2 million over-70s, frontline workers and vulnerable people by February - but how likely is it to actually happen?
- Jabbing two million a week would still take until April for vulnerable to get the first dose of the coronavirus jab
- But it would take another 15 weeks for same Britons in the categories to get the second dose of the vaccine
- Comes after experts today warned that Britain may not be free of coronavirus restrictions until next winterBoris Johnson last night vowed to give one dose of a coronavirus vaccine to 13.2 million care home residents, over-70s, frontline health workers and Britons classified as 'vulnerable' by mid-February.
It is the first time that the government has put outlined a target number of vaccinations, amid fears the government is delivering doses too slowly to lift restrictions by Easter as the Prime Minister has suggested will be possible.
But the PM included a number of caveats in his target and said it would be dependent on everything going in the government's favour. Tweeting afterwards, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said the NHS 'family will come together' to get 13.9 million doses prepared for the most vulnerable by the middle of next month.
A source told the PA news agency that those near the top of the list will be contacted by mid-February, but the final figure could be lower - closer to 13 million - because of some crossover between groups, such as those over 80 who live in care homes.
Last night the PM said: 'By the middle of February, if things go well and with a fair wind in our sails, we expect to have offered the first vaccine dose to everyone in the four top priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
'That means vaccinating all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, everyone over the age of 70, all frontline health and social care workers, and everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable.
'If we succeed in vaccinating all those groups, we will have removed huge numbers of people from the path of the virus. And of course, that will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long. '
'And of course, that will eventually enable us to lift many of the restrictions we have endured for so long.
'I must stress that even if we achieve this goal, there remains a time lag of two to three weeks from getting a jab to receiving immunity.
'And there will be a further time lag before the pressure on the NHS is lifted. So we should remain cautious about the timetable ahead.
'But if our understanding of the virus doesn't change dramatically once again...
'If the rollout of the vaccine programme continues to be successful...
'If deaths start to fall as the vaccine takes effect...
'And, critically, if everyone plays their part by following the rules...
'Then I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half-term and starting, cautiously, to move regions down the tiers.
It comes after experts today warned that Britain may not be free of coronavirus restrictions until next winter unless the NHS hits its ambitious target of vaccinating 2million people every week.
ainst coronavirus during a visit to Chase Farm Hospital earlier today ast he NHS is ramping up its vaccination'I was really proud last Wednesday when we approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, that we had approved the first batch the night before. We are that nimble and that quick.'
Matt Hancock also appeared to point the finger at AstraZeneca, the British drug firm responsible for making and distributing the Oxford jab, for the slow scale-up.
The Health Secretary insisted the NHS was ready to administer doses of the Oxford University vaccine as quickly as it received them, but he added: 'The supply isn't there yet'.
And Professor Stephen Powis, director of NHS England, added: 'If we get two million per week, our aim is to get two million into people's arms a week.'
The NHS today started to dish out Oxford/AstraZeneca's game-changing Covid vaccine in what has been called a 'pivotal moment' in the fight against the pandemic, with an 82-year-old dialysis patient becoming the first person to receive the jab.
Brian Pinker, a retired maintenance manager who describes himself as Oxford born and bred, revealed he was 'so pleased' to get the vaccine and was 'really proud' it was developed in his city.
Mr Pinker is now looking forward to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary next month with wife Shirley.
The UK's vaccination programme has only managed to inoculate 1million people in the four weeks it has been operational.
But officials have promised the scheme will drastically speed up when clinics start using the game-changing Oxford University/AstraZeneca jab, which was rolled-out for the first time today.
Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline he would be 'very surprised' if ministers hadn't eased some curbs by April, when millions will hopefully have been vaccinated.
He added: 'I can see us having some sort of restrictions even this time next year.'
Professor Hunter said curbs would likely be a lot less severe and may depend on how many of the most vulnerable residents come forward for a vaccine.
If uptake is high, the virus has less room to spread and cause severe illness.
However, he said the only safe way to drop all restrictions would be to ensure enough of the population has become immune so that the virus fizzles out.
Scientists believe this can only achieved when 70 per cent of people are protected and the US' top coronavirus doctor Anthony Fauci has warned the figure could even be as high as 90 per cent.
Government scientists have set the goal of 2million vaccinations per week because that will mean the most vulnerable third of the UK population will have some protection by Easter and can get their full two doses before autumn, before winter pressures will start affecting the NHS again.
At a pace of just 1million a week, it would take Britain 30 weeks to vaccinate all the vulnerable residents in phase one of the inoculation drive.
It means that they would not all get their second dose until next February and the health service could be faced with another winter crisis.
But Number 10 will not necessarily wait for the full cohort to be vaccinated before easing the cycle of restrictions.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock last month said that measures can be eased 'when enough people who are vulnerable to Covid have been vaccinated then'. However, he never committed to an actual figure.
Experts say the number of vaccines Britain gives out before lockdown rules can start to be loosened will depend on the 'risk appetite' of Downing St and how well the jabs work in real life.
If measures are lifted too soon, then there could be a surge in severe cases, hospital admissions and deaths in groups at moderate risk but not priority for a vaccine, such as the middle-aged.
The NHS says that people over 70 and those with the most serious long-term health conditions are at 'high risk' from Covid.
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