The UK is the first in the world to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca.
According to Sky News and Daily Guardian on the 3rd (local time), the UK will begin vaccinating AstraZeneca at major hospitals and regional health care (GP) hospitals from the 4th.
Already 530,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been shipped to hospitals nationwide and are waiting for vaccination.
The UK government explained that after starting the vaccination at several large hospitals, AstraZeneca vaccination will be available in hundreds of places across the country within a few days.
According to the National Health Service (NHS) England, there are currently 700 vaccinations available in hospitals, with hundreds more to be added this week around the GP.
Dr. George Findley of Princess Royal Hospital, where the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived on the 2nd, said he expects hundreds of employees to receive the vaccine a day.
“This will allow staff to go to the hospital to take care of patients with confidence,” he said.
Dr. Findley predicted that unlike Pfizer-Bioentech vaccines, which must be stored and stored at a cryogenic temperature of -70 degrees Celsius, AstraZeneca vaccines can be stored at normal refrigerator temperatures, making vaccination much easier.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “I know there are still challenges ahead of us in the coming months,” and “I am confident that this year we will fight the coronavirus and recover better.”
The AstraZeneca vaccination takes place about a month after the UK launched the world’s first Pfizer vaccination on the 8th of last month.
In the UK, more than 1 million people have already received the Pfizer vaccine.
The UK plans to increase the vaccination interval to 4-12 weeks in the future to vaccinate more people.
Corona 19 vaccine is usually given the first dose, and 3 to 4 weeks later, the second dose should be given to increase the efficacy.
The UK government, however, approved the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine and announced that it would increase the interval between the first and second doses to 4-12 weeks.
Instead of delaying the second vaccination, it is a strategy that as many people as possible receive the first vaccination.
“After the first vaccination, it has been proven that people are almost completely protected,” said Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer.
“If we give a person a second dose, it means that others will not be able to get the first dose,” he said. “This will reduce the chances of vulnerable people in serious situations from COVID-19.” .
(Photo = Yonhap News)
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