00:00Today, a consultant in health protection at the Health Security Agency,
00:04the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Outbreak Response in Kenton-Medway
00:08and Kent County Council's Director of Public Health
00:11met with the press to outline the current situation
00:14while hundreds of students stood in line for a vaccine.
00:18More than 4,500 vaccines had been given in around two days.
00:23Despite this huge demand, they insist the vaccine supply is holding up,
00:27with more doses available if required.
00:30The queue reflects, I think, the number of people we've got to get through.
00:33We've stood up a very big response.
00:35People have really prioritised this across the NHS in Kenton-Medway
00:39and we're doing everything we can to get everybody through as quickly as we can.
00:43People will just have to bear with us.
00:44People are working extremely hard over time.
00:47They'll be working through the weekends to get this done
00:49because we know how important it is and how concerned people are.
00:52All of my NHS colleagues are doing everything they can
00:55and to look after everybody in the best possible way.
00:58So clearly, there's a high demand for students and staff here today
01:01that are wanting to get the vaccine,
01:03with some waiting as long as five hours.
01:06Health officials today have said that it's too early to say
01:09whether or not a national rollout should take place.
01:11But why?
01:12So obviously, the first priority is to get over this particular outbreak,
01:17make sure that more people don't get infected
01:19and there are no further deaths.
01:21So once that happens, because it's the same people
01:23who are going to be involved in gathering the evidence
01:25and doing the research about the characteristics of the bacteria
01:29that was implicated in this.
01:31So once that happens, I know that JCVI,
01:34that's the national body that looks into this
01:36and decides is already looking into it.
01:39They will no doubt do a deep dive into this
01:41and reconsider whether anything has changed
01:44and therefore their advice changes or not.
01:46Rollout aside, students outside were waiting patiently for their turn.
01:51I've been waiting for around four or five hours now,
01:54so it's quite a long time, a bit annoying.
01:56I got here at 10 to 9 in the morning.
01:58It's about 20 past one,
02:02so I've been in here for about four and a half hours just over.
02:05It's taken a while, but I think they're doing the best they can.
02:08I came here with my friends around 9.30 in the morning,
02:12so yeah, we've just been waiting, just waiting.
02:14I just want it to be over.
02:16We've been waiting so long.
02:17I'm hungry, I haven't drunk anything.
02:21It's just been so long, I just need it to be over.
02:23We have no idea when we're actually going to get in.
02:26We've been waiting about four hours
02:28and I'm pretty sure we found out yesterday by email.
02:31I haven't found out yesterday, she told me.
02:35While students do exams in the queue
02:36and chatter about the long waits,
02:38there's a clear sense of progress
02:40as the vaccination effort continues to gather pace.
02:43Kristen Hawthorne in Canterbury for KMTV.
02:47Kristen Hawthorne in Canterbury for KMTV.
02:47Kristen Hawthorne in Canterbury for KMTV.
02:47Kristen Hawthorne in Canterbury for KMTV.
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