Vaccinating the housebound is a "postcode lottery"

Some housebound and disabled people in the UK are told to "wait", as their local surgeries have not received vaccines to administer them at residents houses.

In the UK there are currently 14.1 million disabled people living in the UK, and 44% of those are of pension age. The approximate 6.2 million pensioners should have been the first to receive the vaccines, many of which were; so why are many who are potentially the most vulnerable who can't leave the house having to wait. over 10 million people have received the vaccine with 9 out of 10 over 75's having already received it.

Maypole Health Surgery, Birmingham, 4559 registered patients one of the largest in its area. However, of these patients, they are told they have to travel as far as Sparkhill and sometimes further. The government have said "Some people who are housebound or live in a care home and who can’t get to a local vaccination centre may have to wait for supply of the right type of vaccine" with similar said by the NHS and Age UK.

Although for most of the population this is fine, as people that cannot travel far, may have family or can access public transport to take them to the vaccination centre. But what about those who struggle to walk 5 metres unaided and cannot get in or out of cars or get up stairs?

Emily Way, 33-year-old Practice Nurse Practitioner at the Riverview Practice, Caithness, Scotland, described the vaccinations as "a bit of a postcode lottery," as some practices are enabling home visits and others simply are not. "(The Riverview Practice) are definitely vaccinating patients from home, as is the next nearest surgery, who got 900 vaccines delivered and we got 200, for no clear reason as we have a similar number of patients."

Mrs Way explained "the Oxford (Astrazeneca) vaccination vial has to be used within 6 hours of being opened.

"So technically, once it's out the fridge you could take it to someone's home but you have to finish the vial not to waste any doses "The Phizer is more tricky to move. Once it's come out of a deep freeze, it will last in a normal fridge for a few weeks, but needs to be reconstituted with 0.9% sodium chloride.

"After the Pfizer vaccination, the patient must be observed for 15 minutes so for the 5-6 doses per vile, it takes up one and a half hours of a nurses time, so the governments million target is much harder because it takes a lot more planning in and man power."

Edward, 76, retired construction site worker, in his recent years has lost all independence in his deteriorating health. Currently he is not physically able to walk into his kitchen unaided so struggles to do most daily tasks on his own.

His wife Margaret, 76, retired blood transfusion clerk, said "Edward can't do anything he once liked, his shed-come-workshop has been left abandoned for the last 2 or 3 years.

"Covid has stopped the kids and the grandkids coming to visit, and we are all frightened to go outside.

"The GP (From Maypole Health Surgery) said we could have the vaccine in Balsall Heath which I did because my daughter took me, but Ed couldn't get out the door let alone walk up the drive to the car"

This was the letter Edward, Margaret and other patients across the UK received. However like Edward, there have been plenty of patients young and old who are critically vulnerable but unable to leave home to get the vaccine.

Clearly across the UK the most vulnerable are getting vaccinated from home, but why are some not receiving the vaccines when they truly need it?