Vaccination is the best way for Sheffield to beat Covid, says health chief

Director of Public Health Greg Fell expects a second vaccine will follow the current Pfizer jab early in the New Year.

He told a Cabinet meeting: “There is no doubt this is the most important exit strategy from the Covid process that is available to us.

“It’s important not to underestimate the complexity of the logistics and the time it will take to get a fully vaccinated population, my best guess is at least four to five months.

“It’s forced us to rethink the batting order of how we arrange our support to the various things we are being asked to support by Government.

“If it’s a straight trade off between supporting mass testing logistically, or supporting the NHS around the logistics of vaccinations, vaccination wins hands down every time.

“No real question about that, vaccination is singularly the most important thing that we as a city can do.

“The NHS is the lead body for vaccination, we as a council are supporting. Some of our officers are incredibly good at logistics and can support the NHS to roll this out as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Mr Fell said it was a “rapidly changing and moving situation” with different vaccines at different stages of the approval process.

His personal role will be to reassure people the vaccine is safe.

“Communication and engagement are a key to successful vaccination programmes. We know that we do not start from a neutral position in relation to vaccination,” he said.

“Sheffielders have a range of views on vaccination from keen to hesitant to resistant. NHS England have instructed that no communication or engagement work should take place until the vaccination programme is ready to start.

“As a council we are seeking to support and be led by our NHS colleagues. We also are aware that engagement and preparation work is required to support and strongly encourage our communities to take up the offer of vaccination.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.