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<p>The National Health Service is working to ensure a COVID-19 vaccine is available
to clinically prioritised groups as soon as possible. Over 200 Primary Care Network-led
sites started vaccinating patients this week in England. Over the coming weeks and
months, the rate of vaccinations will increase as more doses become available and
the programme continues to expand.</p><p> </p><p>For the first phase, the Joint Committee
on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that the vaccine be given to care home
residents and staff, as well as frontline health and social care workers, then to
the rest of the population in order of age and clinical risk factors. Included in
this are those with underlying health conditions, which put them at higher risk of
serious disease and mortality. It will likely take until at least spring until all
high-risk groups, estimated at over 25 million people in England, have been offered
a COVID-19 vaccine.</p>
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