Preparations under way to roll out Covid-19 vaccine across Sunderland ‘as soon as possible’

Sunderland City Council has confirmed that plans are being put in place to roll out a coronavirus vaccine “as soon as possible”.
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Sunderland City Council has said it is working with health bodies in the area to make plans that would allow a roll out of a coronavirus vaccine “as soon as possible”, after a councillor said vaccinations could begin in the area as soon as December.

A vaccine to combat the spread of Covid-19 is yet to be approved by a regulator, however it is reported that two are set to be approved for a mass roll out within the coming weeks.

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And public bodies across the city have started to look at how the vaccine would be rolled out across the city when it is ready.

Sunderland City Council have confirmed that planning is underway to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine "as soon as possible".Sunderland City Council have confirmed that planning is underway to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine "as soon as possible".
Sunderland City Council have confirmed that planning is underway to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine "as soon as possible".

Sunderland City Council have confirmed that they have been asked by the Government to begin putting plans in place to start vaccinations “as soon as possible”.

This comes after vaccines, including one developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other by researchers at Oxford University, have been found to be around 90% effective against the virus.

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A council spokesperson said: “The Government is asking local health economies to prepare to be able to begin vaccinations as soon as possible.

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“However no vaccination schemes can or will commence until vaccines are approved by the regulator.

“At the moment neither of the vaccines has been approved."

The Echo understands that councillors held a meeting on Friday, November 27 to discuss the logistics surrounding the roll out of a Covid-19 vaccine, however no plans will be confirmed until a vaccine is approved.

Mrs Snowdon commented: “In Sunderland, the local authority is working with Sunderland CCG, aiming to vaccinate, from the second week in December, at the rate of 18,000 per week.

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“This would mean that the entire over-50 population of 115,000 would be vaccinated by the end of February.”

South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group confirmed in a meeting last week that it would use the existing flu governance structure to oversee the rollout of the vaccine.

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