UK becomes world's first to roll out Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as cases surge

UK on Monday began rolling out Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, becoming first nation to iculate people with cheaper and easy-to-handle jab outside of trials.

Oxford vaccine, which also has a tie-up with Serum Institute of India, was first ministered to Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old Oxford-born dialysis patient.

Pinker is among first to be vaccinated by Sam Foster, Oxford University Hospital’s (OUH) chief nurse, hailed as a major milestone in phased vaccination programme being undertaken by National Health Service (NHS). Oxford jab is second vaccine approved for rollout in UK after Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

rollout comes as coronavirus cases in UK continue to surge. country has registered over 50,000 new COVID-19 cases for six days in a row, with 54,990 new cases reported on Sunday.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was a "pivotal moment" in UK's fight against virus, as vaccines will help curb infections and n allow restrictions to be lifted.

Pinker, a retired maintenance manr, said he was pleased to be getting protection against virus, giving him peace of mind as he continues to receive treatment.

Alongside Pinker, music teacher and far-of-three Trevor Cowlett, d 88, and Professor Andrew Pollard, a paediatrician working at OUH who also pioneered Oxford jab, are among first to be vaccinated on Monday.

" Oxford vaccine is a triumph of British science and I want to thank everyone involved in its development and production," said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"We kw re are challenges still ahe of us over coming weeks and months, but I’m confident this is year we will defeat coronavirus and start building back better," he said.

Professor Pollard, Director of Oxford Vaccine Group and Chief Investigator of Oxford Vaccine Trial, said: "It was an incredibly proud moment for me to have received actual vaccine that University of Oxford and AstraZeneca teams have worked so hard to make available to UK and world.

"As a paediatrician specialising in infections, I kw how important it is that healthcare workers along with or priority groups are protected as soon as possible – a crucial role in defeating this terrible disease".

new Oxford vaccine is easier to transport and store than Pfizer jab, which has to be kept at minus 70 degrees until shortly before it is used, making it easier to deliver in care homes.

Serum Institute of India (SII), world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has a licence to produce shot and has alrey manufactured close to 50 million doses.

India's drugs regulator on Sunday approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by SII, and indigeusly developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in country, paving way for a massive iculation drive.

More than half a million doses of vaccine are rey for use in UK on Monday.

Six hospital trusts - in Oxford, London, Sussex, Lancashire and Warwickshire - have begun ministering Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, with 530,000 doses rey for use, BBC reported.

"Through its vaccine delivery plan, our exceptional NHS has w delivered over a million vaccinations to patients across UK. vaccine is our way out and this huge achievement brings us a step closer to rmality we’ve all been working hard to reclaim," said Health Secretary Hancock.

"This will be a historic day, and cause for celebration, but it’s vital everyone continues to follow rules and remember hands, face, , to keep ourselves and ors safe," he said, warning that new variant of dely virus still remains a major risk to NHS services.

first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccinations will be delivered at a small number of hospitals for first few days for surveillance purposes, as is standard practice, before bulk of supplies are sent to hundreds of general practitioner (GP) led services later in week.

NHS is giving GPs an extra 10 pounds for every care home resident that y vaccinate by end of month.

reafter, hundreds of new vaccination sites are due to come onstream this week, joining 700 which are alrey in operation.

" NHS’ biggest vaccination programme in history is off to a strong start, thanks to tremendous efforts of NHS staff who have alrey delivered more than one million jabs," said NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis.

Last week, regulators and four UK chief medical officers anunced that gap between first and second doses of Pfizer vaccine should be lengned so that more people can be protected faster.

Delivery of Pfizer jab, first vaccine to be approved, is refore also w able to be accelerated.

NHS said it has w vaccinated more people than anywhere else in Europe, including more than one in five people over of 80.

It comes as UK faces challenges of a very rapidly spreing new mutation of coronavirus, which has plunged most of country into toughest lockdown restrictions and re is likelihood of those measures being even furr enhanced as infection rates continue to surge.