The Government aims to have almost 14m people vaccinated against coronavirus by the middle of next month.
That means a minimum of 2m jabs every week with either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
The people to first receive the vaccine will be those who fall into one of nine groups who are thought to represent between 90-99 per cent of those at serious risk of dying from Covid-19.
These start from elderly residents of care homes and their carers, before turning to people over 80 before descending in five-year increments.
People not in those nine groups will then be vaccinated.
But what is the actual process of being given the vaccine from start to finish?
We spoke to a GP in Exeter to find out.
You will be contacted
Earlier in the week, it emerged that at least one surgery in Exeter was being being so inundated with calls for information about the vaccine that genuinely ill people were struggling to get through to book appointments.
Sam Hilton, a GP at Alphington's Ide Lane Surgery, urged people to not phone the surgery for such information.
He said that the surgery would almost certainly have contact details for people whose turn it was to receive the vaccine.
Sam added that most people would be contacted by text message, but that surgeries understood that not everybody - particularly the elderly - would have access to a mobile phone. In that instance, he said, alternative means of communication would be used.
"We have been so busy with people ringing us to ask when we can get the vaccine, it is making it difficult for normal patients to get through," he told DevonLive.
"The reality is we have all of your phone numbers and contact details – we will contact people when we need to.
"We will contact you, there is no need to contact us about it.
Where will I have to go?
Where you must go for your injection depends on where your local primary care network has selected for vaccinations.
These can range anywhere from surgeries to town halls, depending on what space and facilities are available to each network.
"Each GP’s surgery in the country is part of a network with somewhere between three and six practices," Sam explained.
"That network has to chose one network where they deliver their vaccines from.
"Each network has already chosen its site – ours happens to be in a GP’s practice which has a few spare rooms.
"Others may have chosen a local village hall or a tennis court – whatever was most appropriate for their location."
What happens when I arrive?
Upon arrival at the site, there may be a queue. These will be socially distanced, and be aware that some might be outdoors.
Before receiving the jab you will have to register to ensure your vaccination is stored on your NHS record.
"The whole process is probably five minutes, plus 15 minutes of waiting afterwards. We are running on six minutes per person, but most of that is the clinician getting things ready," Sam explained.
"You turn up at whatever site you have been told to come to and you’ll stand in a socially-distanced queue, which will probably be out in the cold unfortunately.
"We then have a few questions we have to ask to make sure it is safe, like whether you have had Covid in the last couple of weeks, that you don’t have a fever or a cough, and to check you are not on any strong immunosuppressants.
"When it is your turn, you go into a room where a doctor or nurse or healthcare professional of some sort will stick a needle in your arm, just like a flu vaccine. It is a two-second job."
Can I leave afterwards?
Not straight away, no.
Instead of leaving, you will be asked to stay in a waiting area - which will be socially-distanced - for 15 minutes.
Sam said: "You then have to stay for 15 minutes to check for an obvious reaction. Each site will have an allocated space for that."
This is currently a requirement of the vaccine licensing, introduced because of a tiny number of allergic reactions to the Pfizer dose.
Are there any side-effects?
"For most, the side-effects are minor," Sam revealed.
"You can look them up online to see the statistical chances, but they are things like muscle ache, headache, feeling like you’ve just caught a cold for a day or so. They are all pretty short-lived.
"I had a sore arm and a headache for couple of days, but not one that bothered me at all."
The NHS website says people can take painkillers, such as paracetamol, if needed.
However, if your symptoms get worse or you are worried, call 111.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiTmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRldm9ubGl2ZS5jb20vbmV3cy9kZXZvbi1uZXdzL3doYXQtaXRzLWFjdHVhbGx5LWxpa2UtZ2l2ZW4tNDg2NTc4N9IBUmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRldm9ubGl2ZS5jb20vbmV3cy9kZXZvbi1uZXdzL3doYXQtaXRzLWFjdHVhbGx5LWxpa2UtZ2l2ZW4tNDg2NTc4Ny5hbXA?oc=5
2021-01-09 06:00:00Z
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