Approval of a new UK made and tested Covid-19 vaccine is "really exciting", says a Gravesend GP who believes it will overcome existing logistical issues.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use by the UK drugs watchdog with 100 million doses on the way.
It is the second jab which professes to guard against illness from coronavirus to be approved after the Pfizer/BioNTech jab was granted clearance and rolled out to patients and hospitals across Kent earlier this month.
Vaccination centres for the new inoculation will now begin to invite the most vulnerable groups – including care home residents and the over 80's – to get jabbed in the coming weeks.
"This is really exciting," says Dr Manpinder Singh Sahota, of Pelham Medical Practice, Gravesend who heralded the latest approval as hugely significant.
He pointed out as a UK made product there are also less logistical hurdles to clear in terms of shipping and supply.
"This vaccine can be rolled out far more quicker and more effectively than the Pfizer vaccine," he said.
This is because the Oxford vaccine is easier to store and distribute, as it can be kept inside a normal fridge unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech jab which must be be kept at -70C.
It is "great news" Dr Sahota adds, as unlike the Pfizer jab medics can "take the vaccine in our bag and go and vaccinate people".
And the GP says he is delighted to hear his patients will be among those first in line to get it.
"Our patients are going to start to get the vaccine in the first few weeks in January," he said.
Although it will be given to GPs to protect them first and their patients via flu clinics as opposed to directly to the GP surgeries themselves.
"They've offered it to the GPs first," said Dr Sahota , adding this means they can "get cracking" as soon as possible.
But the doctor warned against any complacency and said any faster rollout does not mean the public can let up on following the rules.
"We know the hospitals are chock-a-bloc, they're at bursting point," he said.
"This vaccine is going to take time so we can't relax. It is important to vaccinate all the vulnerable and at risk."
"There is still a lot of work," added Dr Sahota. "But most important is we get to stop people going into ICU and we get to stop people dying."
Bringing down the rate of Coivd-19 infection and the subsequent number of ICU beds being filled is deemed crucial to tackling other areas of public health too, he claimed
Dr Sahota has expressed disappointment at the number of elective surgery cancellations due to the pandemic but believes the vaccine rollout will pave the way for such services to resume.
"This vaccine is going to take time so we can't relax."
The GP works for the local Vitality Home Health care team serving elderly and vulnerable patients across Dartford and Gravesend, and says homecare teams have been largely "sidetracked" during the lockdowns.
"There are so many things: mental health, dementia, cancer, heart disease – all these things are getting worse," said Dr Sahota.
"Once we can get on top of Covid we can start getting on top of all these important issues as well."
