'V-Day': NHS chief hails 'turning point' as Covid vaccinations start in UK

NHS "V-Day" marks a "decisive turning point" in the battle against Covid-19, the head of the health service has said, as hospital hubs prepare to start vaccinating the vulnerable from 8am.

Britain will on Tuesday becomes the first country to begin a national vaccination programme.

However, regulatory restrictions mean that at first, the 50 centres can only administer around 300 jabs a day.

Those aged over 80, care home workers, and NHS front-line staff will be targeted first, starting on what the Health Secretary dubbed "V-Day".

Matt Hancock said the country would "breathe a collective sigh of relief" as the most vulnerable begin to be protected - but urged those eligible to "sit tight" until their turn comes.

Health officials said the programme will be expanded next week, when hundreds of GP centres are expected to start delivering batches of the vaccine to care home residents across the UK.

Sir Simon Stevens, the NHS chief executive, said: "Coronavirus is the greatest health challenge in NHS history, taking loved ones from us and disrupting every part of our lives. The deployment of this vaccine marks a decisive turning point in the battle with the pandemic. NHS staff are proud to be leading the way as the first health service in the world to begin vaccination with this Covid jab."

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On Monday, Mr Hancock paid tribute to health services across the UK, as he marked "a momentous occasion".

He said: "We will look back on today - V-Day - as a key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease, and I am proud our health services are about to embark on our largest ever vaccination programme.

"The whole country will breathe a collective sigh of relief as our most vulnerable loved ones start to be given protection from the virus. Now's the time to sit tight and remain patient until you get notified by the NHS that it's time for your vaccination. We can see light at the end of the tunnel but still have a long way to go."

Boris Johnson described it as a "huge step forward", adding: "I am immensely proud of the scientists who developed the vaccine, members of the public who took part in trials, and the NHS who have worked tirelessly to prepare for roll-out." "But mass vaccination will take time, and we must remain clear-eyed about the challenges that remain," he said, urging the public to follow the rules and adhere to social distancing.

On Monday, the Prince of Wales paid tribute to the "inspiring work" of scientists behind the programme, saying Britain was able to "look forward with renewed hope" as a result of the advances.

Britain last week became the world's first country to give the green light to a Covid vaccine, with the authorisation of the Pfizer and BioNTech jab. The UK has ordered 40 million doses - enough for 20 million people. The first batch of 800,000 doses has been sent to hospital hubs across the country, with up to 4 million doses due by the end of 2020.

There are hopes that everyone over 50 and younger people with health problems will receive the jab by Easter.

NHS guidance prevents the programme from operating at full capacity at the start, as medics need to personally oversee each vaccination.

As a result, hospital hubs will limit numbers to around 300 vaccines a day - around 60 per cent of capacity. From next week, it should be ramped up.

Kate Bingham, the UK Vaccine Taskforce chairman, said Britain should expand its manufacturing capacity, so that the country is no longer reliant on international supply chains.

Writing in The Telegraph, she suggests that post-Brexit, Britain should "shout from the rooftops" about its capabilities in vaccine manufacturing, ending a "significant reliance" on international supplies and encouraging other countries to develop vaccines here.

Ms Bingham said that in the new year trials will begin to look at heterologous boost - whether the combination of two different vaccines can be more effective than just one, or mean the doses can go further.

She said: "We'll try priming with one vaccine and boosting with another.

"And that will be again part of the clinical exploration to see can you broaden and deepen and strengthen the immune response by mixing and matching."