Vaccine programme not started in 110 care homes due to Covid outbreaks – Hancock

More than a hundred care homes in England have not been able to receive coronavirus vaccines because they have current outbreaks, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock said there are 110 care homes across England where the vaccine programme has not yet started due to outbreaks.

On Monday, NHS England said elderly residents at more than 10,000 eligible care homes had been offered the jab, with the Prime Minister calling this a “crucial milestone”.

Mr Hancock (pictured) told the House of Commons on Tuesday: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to reach so many care homes. I said in my statement that we have reached 10,307 care homes, that’s in England.

“There are 110 care homes where the vaccination programme is still outstanding because they’ve had outbreaks and, for clinical reasons, the vaccination programme can’t start there.

“But it will as soon as it’s clinically possible.”

The Government’s aim was to have offered a vaccine to all elderly care home residents and staff in England by the end of January.

NHS England said official figures were expected to be published on Monday confirming that residents in all eligible care homes had been offered a jab.

Downing Street has also said all eligible care home staff have been offered a coronavirus vaccine and that figures expected on Monday would confirm this.

However, figures for care home residents and staff have not yet materialised.

NHS England said no decision has been made on when this will be published as the data is still being verified.

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