Getting ready for the vaccine: what are the UK Armed Forces doing?
Right across government, organisations have been preparing to support the NHS, quickly roll out the COVID-19 vaccine and keep pace with supplies. So what are the UK Armed Forces doing?
Planning and logistics
Since the beginning of the pandemic, military planners have been working in the background with colleagues from the NHS and other areas of Government to help coordinate the response to Coronavirus. Military logistical expertise has helped to arrange transport, PPE distribution, and construction.
This winter, military planners have been supporting the government in planning and preparation to be able to quickly roll out the vaccine.
Right now:
- 10 military planners are assisting the Vaccine Task Force.
- Two military planners are supporting the Vaccine Task Force Director.
- Another 20 Military planners are helping regional planning, logistics and delivery.
In the 30 days since the Vaccine Task Force started, more than 1.4 million doses of vaccine have been delivered and 769 sites have been established. This is the equivalent to setting up a major supermarket chain in less than a month.
Vaccine delivery
The NHS is well prepared to deliver the vaccine and keep pace with supplies as they increase over the coming weeks.
If needed, a Vaccine Quick Reaction Force of around 130 personnel are ready to support the NHS, when and where they may need it. In England, 21 teams of 6 people are standing by across the 7 NHS regions.
This is part of a wider 1,500-strong reserve of personnel who could be made available should the NHS need them.
In Wales, 90 service personnel are currently establishing and operating vaccination centres to support the Health Board. 14 of these are trained defence medics, who will now also support the administering of the vaccine.
The UK Armed Forces stand ready to support responses to COVID-19 however required, with up to 12,000 personnel ready to support if needed. Whether distributing vaccines, driving ambulances or testing the public, the Armed Forces stand beside the thousands of NHS staff, council workers and others keeping the country ticking every day.
