50 hospitals in England to give vaccinations in first stage

08-12-2020 15:02 HKT

In England, the coronavirus vaccine will be delivered at 50 hospital hubs in the first wave of the program, with more hospitals expected to offer it as the rollout ramps up.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are making their own plans under the U.K.’s system of devolved administration.

Logistical issues are slowing the distribution of the Pfizer vaccine because it has to be stored at minus-70 degrees Celsius (minus-94 degrees Fahrenheit).

The immunization program will be a “marathon not a sprint,” said professor Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England.

Authorities also are focusing on large-scale distribution points because each package of vaccine contains 975 doses and they don’t want any to be wasted.

The U.K. has agreed to buy millions of doses from seven different producers. Governments around the world are making agreements with multiple developers to ensure they lock in delivery of the products that are ultimately approved for widespread use.-AP

St Thomas' Hospital, with the Houses of Parliament in the background at right, in London, is one of the hubs for vaccinating people in Britain against the new coronavirus that has wreaked havoc across the world for nearly years since its first detection in Wuhan, China.