• Question: when will you the covid 19 vaccine be available to the public?

    Asked by anon-271001 on 27 Nov 2020.
    • Photo: Kate Dobson

      Kate Dobson answered on 27 Nov 2020:

      We don’t yet know for certain, but if the data prove that they are as safe, then they should start to be made available in the coming weeks and months. It is likely that they will be given to the elderly, people with other illnesses, and people who are at highest risk of catching and spreading COVID first. So you might not get one for a while.

    • Photo: Ashleigh Cheyne

      Ashleigh Cheyne answered on 28 Nov 2020:

      In my opinion, from what I have heard in the news it might be possible that a vaccine will be available to members of the public who are most at risk at the very end of this year or the start of next year. Some vaccines are close to being made available but they need to pass some extra safety tests and be approved for use.

      It is difficult to know how reliable the news reports are on this topic and what exactly they mean by ‘most at risk’. They might mean people who work in the ‘front-line’ which means people like doctors will be the first to get the vaccine as they have a lot of person-to-person contact each day and need protection. They might also mean the elderly and people with other illnesses.

    • Photo: Sarah Smythe

      Sarah Smythe answered on 30 Nov 2020:

      As the others have said, we can’t be completely sure. The vaccine will be given to the public when it has been shown to be safe.

      When it is safe, the UK government will start to make it available. There is a list of people, on the government website, which show the order people will receive the vaccine. It starts with those in vulnerable categories or those who need it to do their jobs (care home workers, for example).

    • Photo: Amy Rattenbury

      Amy Rattenbury answered on 1 Dec 2020:

      That is a really great question but I don’t have the answer I’m afraid. Getting vaccines approved and then made available to the public is a challenging process so while we wait, we must all do our best to prevent the spread by keeping our distance, washing our hands and wearing face masks in you can.

    • Photo: Jordan Warner

      Jordan Warner answered on 2 Dec 2020:

      There’s been some recent news saying that it’ll be available next week, although they’ll be prioritising the elderly and care workers first. It might be quite a while before they have enough for young people like us, but it’s very impressive that they’ve got this ready in less than a year. Normal drug development takes many years, so it really goes to show how hard scientists at these companies have been working this year!
      In the mean time, we’ll have to continue with wearing masks and social distancing until enough people have been vaccinated to keep the most vulnerable safe.

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