NHS doctors 'scrabbling' to get vaccine amid alarm at Covid variant

Frontline NHS staff have been denied the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, leaving doctors alarmed and “scrabbling” to get immunised.

A new survey reveals that almost two-thirds of medics who responded to it have still not had the vaccine, half believe its delivery to the NHS frontline has been “ad hoc” and a third have no idea when they will be offered it. They fear the government’s decision to prioritise over-80s and care home staff above health workers has left them at risk of catching the disease, especially given the emergence of the coronavirus variant, which is 70% more transmissable.

The findings, from a survey of 1,316 doctors by EveryDoctor, came as the UK’s medicines regulator prepares to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, possibly as soon as Monday. Leading doctors and NHS chiefs believe the second vaccine’s availability will enable a dramatic increase in the number of people who are vaccinated, including health professionals.