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The UK is not currently seeing any major lapse in the protection offered by Covid vaccines, the director of the Oxford vaccine group has said.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be to donate vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.
He said: “What I think is really important, and as JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] will be, is looking at the data on whether boosters might be needed.”
Sir Andrew added: “And as far as I’m aware, up to this point, we’ve not seen any major breakdown in protection that we have in our population.”
His comments on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme come after his colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone, and urged Britain to send vaccines abroad.
Dame Sarah said giving people a third Covid jab is unnecessary in most cases because immunity from two doses is “lasting well”.
A final decision and announcement on who should get boosters and in which order of priority is expected early next week.
Health secretary Sajid Javid has said he was “confident” third jabs would be offered to people by October ahead of the colder months when numbers of Covid cases and deaths are expected to spike.
Recommended Covid booster jabs are unnecessary for most people, Oxford vaccine professor Dame Sarah Gilbert says Covid vaccine scientist wins prestigious business award Job listings requiring Covid-19 vaccination soared in late August, career site says WHO says Africa's already thin vaccine supply to drop by 25%
Key Points ‘No major breakdown in protection’ in UK vaccinated adults Third jab unnecessary for most people – vaccine professor JCVI could advise ministers on booster jabs by end of today Vaccine passports could be extended if needed – Dowden Vax passports may put some people off getting the jab – study
Show latest update 1631274182 Denmark lifts all remaining restrictions
As of Friday, people in Denmark will no longer have to present a digital pass to prove their vaccination status in order to enter a nightclub – bringing an end to the last of the country’s domestic restrictions.
More than 80 per cent of people above the age of 12 in Denmark have received two shots of a vaccine, and the government has declared as of midnight that it no longer considers coronavirus a “socially critical” disease.
Since 14 August, mask-wearing on public transport has no longer been required. On 1 September, nightclubs reopened and limits on public gatherings were removed. Digital passes were also no longer required to go into restaurants, sports games, gyms or salons.
However, the wearing of face coverings is still mandatory at airports and people are advised to wear one when at the doctor, test centres or hospitals.
Leonie Chao-Fong 10 September 2021 12:43
1631272889 UK cities and towns to lose 500,000 jobs due to pandemic, report warns
UK city centres and towns are set to lose half a million jobs due to changes brought by the pandemic including increased working from home, a report has warned.
Most of the job losses are expected to be in manufacturing, finance, hospitality and retail, writes Ben Chapman.
UK cities and towns to lose 500,000 jobs due to pandemic, report warns Unemployment expected to rise in coming weeks as furlough comes to an end
Leonie Chao-Fong 10 September 2021 12:21
1631272169 One in 70 people in England had Covid in the latest week – ONS
About one in 70 people in households in England had coronavirus in the week to September 3, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS figure is unchanged from the previous week’s estimate. In comparison, at the peak of the second wave in January, around one in 50 people in England were estimated to have Covid.
Leonie Chao-Fong 10 September 2021 12:09
1631270553 Centenarian care home resident calls for end to isolation
A 100-year-old woman has called for greater freedom for care home residents, saying that thousands of people can go to festivals but she can only see one of her children at a time.
Frances Heaton, from Yorkshire, said in a video plea that “human rights and equality are out of order altogether”, the Guardian reports.
About 240,000 people have signed a petition demanding a new law ending isolation for care home residents, as many care operators are still refusing to follow government advice on facilitating visits and are imposing their own stricter rules.
Government guidance is that every care home resident in England can have an unlimited number of “named visitors” who will be able to enter the care home for regular visits after negative tests.
Residents can also nominate one essential care giver who undergoes regular testing who may visit the home.
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 11:42
1631269225 Half of parents worried about kids going back to school
Around half of adults are worried about their child going back to school or college after the summer holidays with the main reason being Covid, figures suggest.
Some 48 per cent of adults with dependent children said they were very or somewhat worried about their child returning to education settings, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they were somewhat unworried or not worried at all.
The main reasons for those worried was fear about their child catching coronavirus (58 per cent), spreading coronavirus (31 per cent) and concern about their mental health and wellbeing due to changes in the school or college setting (30 per cent).
A quarter were worried about how prepared their school or college will be for keeping pupils safe, while 15 per cent were worried about sending them back before the vaccine rollout has finished.
The ONS analysed responses from 3,387 people, including 470 responses from adults with dependent children, between 25 August and 5 September.
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 11:20
1631268030 Acas offers advice to employers at care homes over jabs
Employers are being offered advice on how to retain care home staff and avoid resignations ahead of new rules around vaccinations.
From 11 November, anyone who works inside a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care home in England must be fully vaccinated against Covid unless they are exempt.
The conciliation service Acas said employers should take all necessary steps to retain staff and avoid resignations or dismissals.
Acas chief executive Susan Clews said: “Our advice can help employers to prepare for the new law. It includes tips on how to support staff to be fully vaccinated and avoid losing talented workers.”
Acas said employers should talk to staff about why they are not vaccinated, discuss exemptions and see what support they can offer, such as agreeing to alternative work outside the care home premises, or taking short-term paid or unpaid leave.
If an employer is considering disciplinary action, including dismissal, Acas said they should get legal advice.
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 11:00
1631266830 ‘No major breakdown in protection’ in UK vaccinated adults
The UK is not currently seeing any major lapse in the protection offered by Covid vaccines, the director of the Oxford vaccine group has said.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, whose team developed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, said he believes the priority should be to donate vaccines to countries where people are still awaiting a first dose.
He said: “What I think is really important, and as JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] will be, is looking at the data on whether boosters might be needed.
“So in other words, looking at who is ending up in hospital, who are the people who are losing immunity at the moment.
“And as far as I’m aware, up to this point, we’ve not seen any major breakdown in protection that we have in our population.”
His comments on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme come after his colleague Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert said booster jabs may not be needed by everyone, and urged Britain to send vaccines abroad.
A final decision and announcement on who should get boosters and in which order of priority is expected early next week.
The JCVI has already said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 10:40
1631265630 More use of rail ‘vital’ to avoid traffic jams and closed shops
City centres could be hit by a “double whammy” of traffic jams and business closures unless workers resume commuting by train, the rail industry has warned.
The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), citing government data, said train commuting was at just 33 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, while car journeys had reached about 96 per cent of their pre-Covid volume.
It argued that encouraging people to commute by train was “vital” to avoid “empty shop fronts and polluting traffic jams in cities across the country”.
The RDG said that leisure journeys by train were recovering more quickly, suggesting some people feel “confident” travelling by rail.
But while commuting travel is expected to increase in September, it could take “years” to return to 2019 figures – it added.
Reporting by PA
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 10:20
1631263530 Vax passports may put some people off getting the jab – study
Vaccine passports may lower overall number of people in the UK willing to get vaccinated, according to a new study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and St Andrews University.
A large survey of 16,000 people in April suggests that enforcing the need for proof of vaccination to access certain venues could cause a possible “vaccine passport paradox” among people who are more hesitant to get inoculated.
Report author Dr Alex de Figueiredo said: “What worries us is the possibility of a ‘vaccine passport paradox’ – a scenario in which passports in the UK may accelerate the rate at which the population is vaccinated while simultaneously lowering the level of that maximum.”
In the study published in EClinicalMedicine, respondents were asked their intent to receive a vaccination, and if vaccine passports were introduced for domestic or international use, how would this impact their decision.
Overall, the study found that passports may lower vaccination inclination by 3.6 per cent if introduced for domestic use and 1.7 per cent for international use.
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 09:45
1631262630 Covid travel traffic light system could be scrapped
The government’s current traffic light system for international travel during the pandemic could be ditched.
It has been reported that the green and amber categories could be removed and replaced with a new system.
A new system would allow vaccinated travellers to visit countries with similarly high levels of vaccination as the UK without the need for quarantine on return, sources told the BBC.
The “red list” – countries deemed to be the highest risk and involve a 10-day stay at a government-approved hotel at a cost of thousands of pounds – is expected to remain in place.
The third government review of international travel is due by 1 October.
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports
What will replace the traffic light travel system? Every day that the current system persists means jobs, hopes and opportunities are being crushed, says Simon Calder
Lamiat Sabin 10 September 2021 09:30
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