Isle of Man coronavirus vaccinations 'delayed until January'

Subject to future deliveries, it will take six weeks to vaccinate the initial priority groups

The roll-out of the coronavirus vaccination programme on the Isle of Man has been delayed until January, the health minister has said.

It had been hoped the programme could start on 21 December.

David Ashford said the "practical option" was to start on 4 January due to a "small number of critical issues outstanding" regarding medical indemnity paperwork.

Vulnerable health care staff will be among the first to receive the jabs.

The island received its first two trays of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, each containing 975 doses, on Wednesday.

The first batches of the vaccine arrived on the island on Wednesday

Mr Ashford said, as it would take three days to administer those doses, the start of the programme could "not be rushed".

He said: "It is not sensible to start with so little margin in the immediate run up to Christmas Day, and we will not rush things during an already very busy period for our health services."

The details being finalised were focused on the roll-out of "clinical protocols amended from the UK to suit the Isle of Man, and not the vaccine itself", he added.

Medically vulnerable and high priority groups within health care staff, care home and other social care workers have been invited to register to receive the injections first.

Arrangements have been put in place for those to initially be administered at the Newlands site at Noble's Hospital.

Remaining health care staff will be vaccinated thereafter, followed by care home residents and those over the age of 80.

The wider programme mirrors that in the UK, with priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations.