GP surgeries will be paid a £10 bonus for every coronavirus vaccine doctors give to a care home resident next month.
The plan is aimed at boosting the rollout of inoculations to the most vulnerable and comes after the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab was given the backing of regulators.
Money will go to the primary care network so doctors are incentivised to speed-up vaccinations in care homes during the New Year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock reveals the plan in an exclusive Mirror article.
He writes: “The new Oxford vaccine is much better suited to reach all of our care homes – and I'm determined that care home residents and staff are at the front of the queue.
“So the NHS is providing an additional £10 per dose for all vaccines delivered in care homes in January – to support the roll out and underline the importance of getting this vital protection to where it is needed most.”
It comes after Oxford University’s “game-changing” Covid vaccine was approved, offering Brits hope for 2021 despite a wave of new Tier 4 lockdowns and a million pupils not going back to primary school next week.
It costs just £2 per dose, compared with £15 for Pfizer’s jab and £25 for Moderna’s.
The aim is for millions of people to be rapidly vaccinated from Monday, although the speed is limited by how fast the jab can be produced by AstraZeneca.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the “world first” approval of the Oxford jab offers a “path out of this pandemic by spring”.
The vaccine, manufactured by Cambridge-based AstraZeneca, is expected to transform the battle against Covid because of its low cost and the fact it can be stored in a fridge.
The Pfizer jab needs to be kept at ultra-low temperature, making it much more difficult to deal with.
Regulators say first doses of the Oxford jab will be given to as many elderly and vulnerable people as possible, while the second dose will be delayed by up to three months.
It is hoped the strategy will quickly offer some protection to those most in need as Britain struggles with record daily cases and hospital admissions.
The military will distribute supplies after approval was confirmed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Protection is achieved between two and three weeks after the first dose.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said: “This is another remarkable achievement for science in the global effort to tackle Covid-19. This vaccine is easier to transport and deploy, and will benefit UK citizens as well as many vulnerable people around the world. The UK has secured phased access to very large amounts so this is fantastic news for NHS vaccine rollout.”
Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “With community transmission on the increase, it is all the more important we learn lessons from the first wave and focus on protecting those living and working in care homes.
“There are fewer logistical problems with the Oxford vaccine so the rollout should be quicker than the Pfizer vaccine.” Prof Martin Marshall, who chairs the Royal College of GPs, said: “It is fantastic this vaccine has been approved for use in the UK.
“This gives us another vital tool to protect patients against Covid – and it will be a game changer for the rollout of the vaccination programme in primary care.
“It is the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that we desperately need to get us through this difficult winter and ultimately overcome the virus.”
