Over-80s next due for vaccine as care homes start getting second doses

CARE home residents and staff and front-line healthcare workers have nearly all had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine against Covid-19, and many are already starting to receive their second jabs – after which, the next group will be the over-80s not living in nursing accommodation.

Health minister Salvador Illa said that as at the middle of this week, a million people in Spain had had their first immunisation dose – although local media sources say many care homes have started giving out the booster jab, meaning elderly people living in sheltered accommodation, those who look after them, and medical employees will already be, it is hoped, fully immune to the effects of the virus.

It is not clear whether they can still catch it and pass it on – in theory, the antibodies they receive through the injection will kill off the virus in their system, albeit probably not instantly – but the idea of the vaccine is that those who have it will not suffer any adverse effects if the SARS-CoV-2 enters their bodies.

Health workers, and those living or working in nursing homes, who have already contracted the virus or, in the case of the latter two groups, if there are any active cases on the premises, will have to wait until they all test negative before vaccines can be administered.

With the first priority 'slot' being nearly complete, Spain is nearly ready to start the second, which will be people aged more than 80 and not living in care homes.

Unlike in the UK, where the different groups of society are being vaccinated faster, Spain has opted to 'finish' one segment at a time by giving their second doses before moving onto the next group – in Britain, the over-75s are having their vaccines now care home staff and residents and hospital workers have had their first, but appointments to get a second jab are typically not available at present until March.

In Spain, however, second doses are being given within the requisite 18-21 days after the first dose, and the over-80s will not start their immunisation until the initial groups have had both.

Vaccination started on December 27, and it is likely the first groups will have had their two jabs by February.

After the over-80s, it has not been confirmed who will be next, although the original timescales laid out by Illa's ministry suggest the immune-compromised, those with chronic physical health conditions that could be dangerously aggravated with Covid on top, and the 65-80 age groups will follow.

Spain wants to have 70% of the country vaccinated by the summer; however, adults under 65 with no physical health problems will probably be the last on the list and may not be immunised until the autumn.

This would mean, though, that the non-immunised should be, by the summer, merely those who would be likely to suffer only relatively mild Covid symptoms, if any, and have far greater chances of recovery, if they caught the virus.