More than 600,000 people in the UK have been administered the first dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as part of one of the largest vaccination campaign. Between December 8 and 20, an estimated 616,933 people were inoculated in the UK, 521,594 in England, 56,676 in Scotland, some 22,595 in Wales, and close to 16,068 in Northern Ireland, according to the figures published by the British Department of Health and Social Care. “UK government has procured doses on behalf of the entire UK,” the department informed.
In collaboration with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the Pfizer vaccines were first administered to the vulnerable and elderly nursing home residents aged 80. The health and social care teams rolled out the first batches across 500 vaccination sites in England on Wednesday, December 16. The UK government prioritized the most populous home cares with 50 to 70 beds first. This comprised of 2,900 care homes across England. The department of health staff vaccinated at least 7 care homes first in areas—Slough, Aintree, Herne Bay, Thanet, Chalfont St Peter, Droitwich, and Cheltenham, as well as Chelsea Pensioners.
