Almost every frontline worker at Dorset County Hospital has received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, with preparations under way to introduce the second jab to staff.

The Dorchester-based hospital, which employs around 2,800 people, has been rolling out the first jab to its frontline staff since early December as part of a wider mass programme to vaccinate hospital and community healthcare staff at the site.

Professor Alastair Hutchison, chief medical officer at the hospital, shared the update as he continued to praise his staff’s efforts during the pandemic.

Frontline staff have received the Pfizer BionTech vaccine, however a small number are yet to receive the jab due to concerns about allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. These affected workers will instead receive a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Prof Hutchison said: “We have completed vaccination of almost all of our frontline staff with the Pfizer BionTech vaccine.

Dorset Echo:

"We have a small number of frontline staff who have previously had unexplained anaphylactic reactions to other medicines or vaccines, and they are being vaccinated this week and next week with the AstraZeneca vaccine as we have now been given a small supply.

“We received some doses on Tuesday so we are approaching those staff members to get them vaccinated.”

Broadly speaking, he noted that there is ‘extra caution’ with the Pfizer vaccine if they have had previous serious allergic reactions.

Frontline staff who received the first dose of the vaccine in early December will soon be invited to receive their second and final dose.

Prof Hutchison said: “We are about to start second doses from early March.

“That is 12 weeks after the first wave of staff vaccinations and they will soon become eligible for their second dose. The first group of staff we vaccinated was in early December. “

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Frontline workers make up approximately 85 per cent of the employees at the hospital. Prof Hutchison said frontline workers are defined by many NHS Trusts as those ‘who come into contact with patients in a working week’.

He explained: “That could include catering staff, porters, and even maintenance staff who have come onto wards from time to time.

“Anyone who could come into contact with patients is a frontline worker.”

Coronavirus cases continue to fall across Dorset, as Prof Hutchison theorised that this could be down to a number of vulnerable groups receiving the vaccine in the county.

He said: “What we will see in the coming weeks is that the cases in the 80s and 70s age groups will show a significant downward trend as the vaccine takes two weeks to generate any useful immunity.

“Therefore, we should see that decline in the figures in the coming weeks.

“We estimate that more than 90 per cent of the over 80s have received a dose of the vaccine across Dorset, and so we should see improvement in both the number of cases in the community and also those becoming seriously ill and requiring hospital treatment.”