400,000 SHOULD GET JAB IN 1 DAY

CARE HOME PLEA FOR 2ND DOSE AS DEATHS RISE

- Laura Connor

ELDERLY people in care homes are still dying of coronavirus despite receiving their first dose of the vaccine.

Care home bosses say the Government’s decision to give our most vulnerable just one dose in order to immunize the wider population could lead to tens of thousands of excess deaths.

Now they are pleading for that policy to be halted for just ONE DAY so 400,000 residents can get their vital second dose.

One boss said: “Why couldn’t they do that? It doesn’t make any sense not to.”

Coronavirus-related deaths in English care homes have shot up 46% in the past week – the highest increase since May.

It brings the total UK residential Covid death toll to 32,000.

Gambles

Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said extending the maximum wait from three to 12 weeks was a public health decision to get the first jab to more people across the UK.

But care home bosses claimed it was a political choice that is gambling with their residents’ lives.

Geoff Butcher, chief executive of Blackadder Corporation which houses 250 residents, has already had three clients die despite the fact they received the vaccine on December 29.

Another two of his residents who also had jabs are now on end-of-life care.