Weymouth GP welcomes first approved coronavirus vaccine

A Dorset GP and Councillor says the approval of a vaccine is hope for normality, and an end to the pandemic.

Councillor Jon Orrell says it will take a number of months and not everyone will be given the vaccine at first.

Boris Johnson's urged people not to fall into the "niave belief that the struggle's over", as the first Covid-19 vaccine's approved in the UK.

The Pfizer and BioNTech jab - which is 95 percent effective - will become available early next week.

Councillor Jon Orrell said:

"It's wonderful, it's a bit like busses, you wait for one and then three come at once. It's the same with the vaccines, we've suddenly got several really good vaccines.

"Vaccines are the key for viruses, antibiotics don't work so we need vaccines.

"So as we move from this year into next year, we'll be ramping up the delivery of them, from general practice next year, and we can actually look forward to the end of this horrible pandemic and getting back to normal."

When can I get vaccinated?

Not everyone will be able to get vaccinated immediately, and Jon says it will take a while before we go back to normal completely.

Those in care homes will be first on the list to receive a vaccine, followed closely by those over the age of 80 and frontline health and social care workers.

Jon said:

"They're quite sensibly going to start with those most at risk. Obviously coronavirus really targets the vulnerable and the elderly, so they ought to be first in the queue and they will be.

"Then, they'll work their way down with groups that are less vulnerable until everyone gets a chance. It will take a few months to do everyone, but hopefully we'll get the most vulnerable first."

Is it safe?

If you've opened a social media app in the last few days, you've probably seen unsubstantiated claims the virus isn't safe for a whole host of reasons.

Jon said those claims are false:

"It has been turned around quickly, but the reason for that is that we are facing a pandemic that is paralysing the economy.

"From what I've read, and I have read a lot, they haven't shortcut any of the actual testing, they just got on with it.

"There's a certain number of people that need to be tested with any new vaccine. Normally you've got all the time in the world and you can take months and years doing a few at a time.

"Because it's the pandemic, they've really ramped it up so they've got all the volunteers in and done the right number of people, they've just done it in a short period of time."