Additional doses of Covid-19 vaccine to arrive in Gibraltar within days

Following a successful first week of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Gibraltar, the UK has confirmed the arrival dates for the next supplies.

4,875 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will arrive in Gibraltar, via the RAF tomorrow Wednesday January 20 and a further 6,825 doses will then follow ten days later also via the RAF.

These numbers are based on the assumption that the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) will get six individual doses from each vial, which has been the practice in the UK, Gibraltar and other countries.

Further vaccination will now recommence on Thursday of this week, following the arrival of the new delivery, and the vaccination centre are now offering appointments to those who are over the age of 65 as well as to non-clinical essential front-line staff.

On the basis of the confirmation of the delivery these further doses, as from February 1, 21 days after their first dose, the GHA will then commence giving the second dose of vaccine to people in the top priority groups that received their first dose.

In parallel to the vaccines that will be administered at the public vaccination centre, the GHA vaccination centre will initially continue to vaccinate any remaining health and care staff and other key workers, including the Royal Gibraltar Police, the fire services, Customs, and airport staff.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo said: “This is excellent news for Gibraltar as we can continue with our COVID-19 vaccination programme without any delay.

“Gibraltar is really grateful to the UK Government for ensuring that we are continuing to receive the vaccine we need in a timely fashion.

“GHA staff and many other volunteers have been working tirelessly on our vaccination programme and by last night (Monday January 18), 6,435 people in Gibraltar had received their first dose of the vaccine.

“For all these people their immune systems are now starting to respond and produce antibodies to the virus that causes COVID-19. Twice as many people in Gibraltar have now had their first dose of the vaccine compared to the number that have had COVID-19.

“The fight-back against this horrible disease is now well and truly underway in Gibraltar”.

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