This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Military could be used to transport vaccine
The armed forces could help transport further stocks of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Belgium to the UK, with vaccinations due to begin on 8 December.
Asked if a no-deal Brexit could delay supplies, Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly said it was a 'top priority' and the government would look to ensure supplies were available 'in whatever circumstance'.
Military personnel are already helping to construct vaccination centres.
Front-line health staff, those over 80, and care home workers will be first in line for the vaccine. In England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering it. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on 8 December.
The Ministry of Defence said 60 military planners are working with the government's vaccine task force, with a further 56 personnel helping to construct vaccination centres.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said around 13,500 military personnel were on 'high readiness' - with more than 2,000 deployed so far to help with testing and the government's coronavirus response.
About 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK from next week. So far the government has ordered a total of 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each, 21 days apart.
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