Liverpool City Region Mayor calls for greater control over vaccine rollout
Steve Rotheram says the mass testing pilot proves the region can increase delivery of the jab
Government ministers have been urged to work more closely with the Liverpool City Region to help increase the speed of the vaccine roll out.
In a letter to Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said the experience and infrastructure that the city region had put in place as part of its mass testing scheme showed - that if government worked more closely with local leaders – then it could increase the pace of delivering the vaccine.
The Mayor also called for a mass vaccination hub to be set up in the city region – after the successful opening of a facility in Greater Manchester – highlighting the many potential venues in the city region, including Anfield, Goodison Park, Aintree racecourse and Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre.
Finally, the Mayor said that while it was welcome that an overall UK vaccination number is being published, he asked for ministers to publish more granular data; broken down by region, local authority, age and priority group. He said that this would allow us to get a clearer picture of what was happening locally, measure our progress towards vaccinated target groups and identify areas in need of greater support.
The full text of the mayor’s letter is below:
Rt Hon. Matt Hancock MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Department of Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
Dear Secretary of State
Re: Vaccine rollout in the Liverpool City Region
I am writing to you with regard to the rollout of Coronavirus vaccines in the Liverpool City Region. Beating this virus requires a national effort and I wanted to once again emphasise my desire for the Liverpool City Region to be at the forefront of the UK’s vaccine rollout.
We stand ready to work with the government and our NHS to deliver the vaccine to our residents, as quickly and safely as possible. However, I am concerned that our capacity and enthusiasm are not being fully utilised.
You may recall that last year, during our discussions around bringing the mass testing pilot to the city region, I suggested to government that one of the added benefits of the city region engaging in the pilot would be that it would mean we had the logistical capacity and network in place to roll-out the vaccine quickly as access to supplies became available.
I’m sure, then, that you can imagine my disappointment that this local infrastructure is not being utilised. Over the course of the pandemic, we have shown consistently that we are able to work to quickly and effectively to deliver large scale interventions to tackle coronavirus - as we did with mass testing.
I would be keen to meet with yourself and the Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment, to discuss how we can speed up vaccine deployment in the city region.
Secondly, I would also urge government to work with us to establish a mass vaccination hub in the city region. The hub already operating in Greater Manchester is of course welcome, but I fear will be too far to travel for many people, especially vulnerable groups, and will not be enough to satisfy demand across the whole of the North West.
I would therefore request that you urgently look at deploying a similar facility in the Liverpool City Region. We have a number of potential sites, from our football and rugby stadiums to Aintree Racecourse and our arena and convention centre, which could be ideally suited to the task. I would be happy to work with you to identify and launch a hub in our city region.
Thirdly, I welcome the recent commitment by the government to publish figures on the number of people who have been vaccinated in the UK. I was one of the first to call for the government to release data on transmission rates and regional R rates at the beginning of the pandemic and we have seen how effective transparency and Open Data has been in supporting communications campaigns and making people aware of the situation in their areas.
While it is welcome that an overall vaccination number is being published, a UK figure alone is not enough. I would ask that the government start to provide more granular data; broken down by region, local authority, age and priority group. This would allow us to get a clearer picture of what was happening locally, measure our progress towards vaccinated target groups and identify areas in need of greater support. Doing so would also help us find areas of best practice exist, from which everyone can learn.
Our region is committed to everything we can to help make the vaccine rollout a success and get back to something resembling normality. We want to play an active role – please don’t leave us watching from the side lines.
I look forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely
Steve Rotheram
Mayor of Liverpool City Region
What is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved for use in the UK on 2 December 2020. Britain was the first country in the world to approve the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19. Pfizer is an American pharmaceutical firm while BioNTech is a German biotechnology company. The vaccine is very delicate and has to be stored at -70 degrees, limiting the number of sites that can administer the jab.
What is the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine?
A vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca became the second vaccine approved for UK use on 30 December 2020. This vaccine was considered "the way out" of the pandemic in the UK, thanks to the fact it is easier to store than the Pfizer jab, making it well equipped for mass roll out. GPs and vaccination centres across the country began administering the jab in early January 2021. Under 30's in the U.K. were given the option to choose a different vaccine to this due to small risks of very rare blood clots. Instead, under-30s would typically choose the Pfizer jab or later, the moderna jab.
What is the Moderna vaccine?
The third vaccine approved for UK use on 8 January 2021 was developed by American firm Moderna. 24-year-old Elle Taylor from Wales became the first person in the UK to receive the Moderna jab in April. The Moderna vaccine is similar to the Pfizer jab in how it works but is even easier to roll out as it can be stored at -20 degrees rather than -70.
What is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The fourth vaccine to be be approved in the UK was Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, released under the name Janssen. Notably, It is also the first single shot vaccine in use during this vaccine rollout.
Who was the first person to receive the Pfizer vaccine?
90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the world to be vaccinated against Covid-19 outside a clinical trial. She received her jab on 8 December 2020 at Coventry's University Hospital. Mrs Keenan, who lives in Coventry, became somewhat of a fashion influencer after the charity t-shirt she wore to her vaccination appointment sold out. Profits went towards buying Christmas presents for hospital patients. The grandmother advised everyone who was offered the vaccine to take it, saying "If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too."
Who was the first person to receive the Oxford vaccine?
Meanwhile, Brian Pinker from Oxford was first to receive the AstraZeneca jab outside of a clinical trial at the age of 82. Mr Pinker, who was vaccinated on 4 January 2021, praised the medical teams administering the vaccine, saying it would allow him to "really look forward" to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with wife Shirley later on in the year.
When will I receive the vaccine?
Vaccines were offered according to vulnerability levels. First to be offered the jab were people in care homes and their carers, followed by those over 80 and health and social care workers. People aged 65 and above were next on the priority list and then high-risk adults under the age of 65 followed by moderate risk adults under 65. The vaccine was then rolled out by age group.
How will I know when it's my turn to get vaccinated?
When it is your turn to receive the vaccination, you will be informed by the NHS. You should only attend vaccination sites if you have been told to do so. Vaccines are provided for free by the NHS and they will never ask for bank details. Find out more about vaccine scams here.
What is a vaccine passport?
The Government debate the idea of a vaccine passport as proof of full vaccination required to enter venues like nightclubs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid later "ditched" the idea and ensured clubbers that they no longer need to be double jabbed by the end of September 2021 to get into Nightclubs or big events.
Do I need a booster jab?
Pfizer/BioNTech booster jabs are rolled out as part of the Government's winter covid plan. Shots can be given to people aged 50 and over, those in care homes and frontline health and social care workers. All those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and anyone aged 16 to 65 in an at-risk group for Covid will also be eligible for a jab. There must be at least 6 months between a 2nd vaccine dose and a booster jab.
Oxford jab scientist Sarah Gilbert says booster jabs are "not needed for all" and that they should instead go to countries with low vaccination rates.
Will children be vaccinated?
The government have also made vaccines available to children aged between 12-15 as part of the country's winter Covid plan.
What about five to 11-year-olds getting vaccinated?
All 5 to 11-year-olds in England can now receive a coronavirus jab, following advice from the JCVI and the same decision being made in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is also expanding their vaccination programme to include the 5-11 age range. It means almost six million children in the UK will be offered the Covid-19 vaccination.