When the first two Covid-19 vaccines were approved in the UK at the end of 2020, we were given a cautious glimmer of hope after almost a year into various lockdowns. Now, a diverse mix of professions across the four nations are coming together to vaccinate the most at-risk groups. Here, four of those people tell us about the roles they are playing in the effort.
‘I’m very proud of our work’
David Lawrence is CFO at vaccine company Valneva, in Livingston, Scotland, which is currently trialling a new Covid-19 vaccine
“We started looking at developing a vaccine for Covid-19 last April. In normal times, the other two vaccines we make here are largely intended for the travel industry, and given how that’s been impacted by Covid-19, it actually gave us an interesting opportunity. Rather than having to furlough staff, we improved the facility’s biosafety to reflect the risks associated with Covid-19, and moved them on to the new project.
“We’re following a tried-and-tested approach – one we already use to produce a vaccine for Japanese encephalitis, which we’ve been making on this site for more than a decade. The process involves taking the whole virus, then growing, purifying, and harvesting it. Then, at a certain stage in the process, we inactivate or kill it. The big advantage of an inactivated vaccine is that it tends to be very safe – a similar approach is used for the flu and rabies vaccines.
“I’ve been in this industry for long enough to know we’ll be able to ensure we’ve got a safe and effective vaccine – that’s our number one focus. We’ve got a huge body of scientific evidence on inactivated vaccines that allows us to be confident about safety, and I think people should feel very encouraged by that.
“We’re so confident that we’ve already started the full-scale manufacturing process, and we’re fitting out a building across the road, which we acquired last summer, to scale up our capacity – it means we should be in a position to deliver the 100m doses we’ve promised the UK on time.
“Meanwhile, we’ve recruited our first clinical trial of 150 patients, which started in December. When we get that data in, we’ll be able to optimise the dose of the vaccine, then the next wave of clinical trials will likely involve around 3,000 to 4,000 people. Finally, the results will be reviewed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the autumn. Starting to manufacture the vaccine now means that as soon as the MHRA approves it, the vaccine can be deployed the day after.
“It’s been an interesting challenge for me and the whole team, and I’m very proud of our work. I’d originally contemplated retiring at the end of last year, but there’s so much to do, and it’s so interesting that I’m happy to continue. Almost everyone who’s involved in the development and production of Covid-19 vaccines is rowing in the same direction, and it’s one of the few times in my career when everyone is standing shoulder to shoulder. Emotionally, that’s been very important, as it’s a lot of hard work.
“On a personal level, I’ve been extremely lucky during the pandemic. I live in a house with a garden, but people without outdoor space are in much worse shape. My son and wife have both volunteered at a food bank, and have seen people who are desperate for food, and even just for a bit of interaction.
“Even so, there have been days when I’ve felt fed up. You’re in your home office all day, and suddenly it’s 6pm or later, and you haven’t moved all day. My daughter is 14 and home learning, when she’d rather be socialising and seeing friends, while my son is in his first year of university. He had no school-leaving parties, no celebrations, and then no freshers’ week. I’m looking forward to life going back to something approaching the old normal, and I think vaccines are the way we’re going to get there. I feel very blessed to be involved.”
‘Developing a range of vaccines is important’
Prof Paul Heath is chief investigator of the Novavax phase 3 trials, taking place at St George’s, University of London
“At St George’s, we’ve been involved with a number of Covid-19 vaccine trials since May last year. The Novavax trial is currently in phase 3, involving around 15,200 participants from across the UK. Its vaccine technology is similar to the flu vaccine, and more traditional than the newer technology of the Pfizer vaccine.
“Developing a range of vaccines is important, because as well as having lots of people to vaccinate globally, different vaccines might have different characteristics and degrees of efficacy. They might also work better in different groups of people – one vaccine may be better for pregnant women, and another for adults with underlying immune problems.
“For an individual, the importance of being vaccinated is to protect them against Covid-19. But by vaccinating a large portion of the population, we’ll also reduce the risk of spread to those who can’t be vaccinated. By stopping transmission in the population, we can all return to the lives we had before the pandemic.”
‘People are so appreciative’
Roisin Coulter is director of the vaccination programme at the south eastern health and social care trust in Northern Ireland
“The first Covid-19 vaccine was approved in December, and within a week we were asked to start rolling it out. It’s a huge challenge, and our vaccination centre has been operating seven days a week. Our aim is that everyone over 65 in Northern Ireland will have had the chance to be vaccinated by the end of February.
“We have to monitor capacity and demand. We maximise every single slot, and have a list of people who haven’t had the vaccine who we can call in at short notice.
“The great thing about the vaccine is that it gives us hope, and people are so appreciative. They feel reassured by the process, and they feel safe. I’d encourage everyone to have the vaccine to protect themselves, their family and their community.”
‘It’s a good step towards normality’
Cpl Sally Woodcock is an RAF clarinettist. She’s currently working at a community vaccine centre in Powys, Wales
“I’ve been playing the clarinet with the RAF for 16 years, but due to the pandemic our musical engagements have largely been cancelled. I live in Grantham with my partner, Cpl David Jones, just outside RAF Cranwell, and have mostly been at home, practising. We managed to record a carol service for BBC Radio Lincolnshire when the rules were relaxed last year, but otherwise we’ve been on standby to offer Covid-19 related MACA – military aid to civil authorities – wherever we might be needed.
“I’m not one to sit around doing nothing, so I was happy to be sent to Powys to support the vaccine hub. Six of us – five musicians, including me and David, and a pilot – got the call just before Christmas, and there are other RAF musicians dotted around Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor all doing the same thing.
“We’re a small team here at Powys, so we’re split into teams of two shifts. What we do each day can vary, but I’ve been carrying out car park duties, fulfilling admin roles, and checking people are OK after they’ve had the vaccine. We’ve been doing all sorts, and are working with some lovely people.
“The volunteers give so many hours of their time, even after working from home all day, and the dedication of the NHS staff here is just phenomenal. Everyone is so friendly, and carries out their work with humour, enthusiasm and patience. I was pleased to have the opportunity to join in and help out, especially in such a beautiful part of Wales.
“I was relieved when the vaccine was first announced – not necessarily for myself and my family, but for the vulnerable people out there who really need it. A lot of the older generation, especially, have been stuck indoors and isolated, and it’s not the best for anyone’s mental health.
“Both mine and David’s parents are in their 70s, so they’ve been really careful. My dad has had to shield because he’s in the vulnerable category, so my mum’s being careful too. They moved to be closer to us last September, but I haven’t been able to see them and give them a hug yet. Everybody’s in the same position, though.
“When we arrived here we had the vaccine ourselves, as we’d be working with the public and alongside nurses. It’s quick and absolutely painless – people who’ve come through the hub have been saying: ‘Is that it? I didn’t realise it had already happened!’ So it’s really nothing to be worried about.
“I’ve loved seeing the public’s response. I worked on the phones for a few days at the beginning, booking people in, and so many people haven’t been out of the house since March, or have hardly spoken to anybody. It’s lovely to see their faces when they have their first jab, and are chuffed to bits – they’re so relieved that there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.
“One lady had travelled quite far, and was ecstatic to be out of the house. She told us: ‘It’s so lovely to speak to someone, and so lovely to see you.’ We’ve also had comments about how well organised and easy the process is. It’s nice to know the people who come here aren’t feeling stressed, and are leaving the hub feeling happy.
“I think it’s brilliant that we’re starting to get the vaccine out there and can move forward with the hope that lockdown will ease at some point. It’s a good step towards normality.”
This advertiser content was paid for by the UK government. All together (Working together to vaccinate the UK) is a government-backed initiative tasked with informing the UK about the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, visit gov.uk/coronavirus
