UK NHS Says Every Care Home Resident In England Now Offered COVID-19 Vaccine

Every care home resident across England has now been offered a coronavirus vaccine, the National Health Service (NHS) said on Monday amid lingering concerns that up to a fifth of staff might be declining the shot

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) Every care home resident across England has now been offered a coronavirus vaccine, the National Health Service (NHS) said on Monday amid lingering concerns that up to a fifth of staff might be declining the shot.

In mid-January, the Press Association reported, citing data from several care providers, that between 5 and 21 percent of staff in some UK care homes have refused a vaccine. There are currently no NHS statistics on how many staff have declined to take shots.

"Official figures later today are expected to confirm that the NHS has now offered the COVID-19 vaccine to residents at every eligible care home with older residents across England," England's health agency said in a statement.

According to the NHS, the vaccine thus has been offered to over 10,000 care homes. The small remainder, however, had to postpone visits for safety reasons, but they will be vaccinated as soon as the situation allows.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the news as "a crucial milestone in our ongoing race to vaccinate the most vulnerable against this deadly disease."

"We said we would prioritise and protect care home residents, and that is exactly what we have done," he stated, as quoted by the NHS.

Some 8.9 million Britons have already received a first vaccine dose, and the rollout program will "only accelerate from here on," according to Johnson.