LONDON: There is no guarantee that Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19
vaccine will be distributed in English care homes but the health service and regulator are working to make it possible, deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam said on Thursday.
Britain became the first country to approve the vaccine candidate developed by Germany’s BioNTech and Pfizer, jumping ahead of the rest of the world in the race to begin a crucial mass inoculation programme.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of logistical challenges in distributing the vaccine, which has to be stored at -70C (-94F), across the National Health Service (NHS).
Following the emergency approval, roll-out will initially be focussed on hospitals rather than community settings.
Although it can be kept for five days in a regular fridge, Van-Tam said there was a limit to how often it can be taken out of a fridge and put back, with implications for its distribution to care homes.
“The NHS, the (medicine regulator) MHRA are…
