Coronavirus Article Bar with counter ..Why Britain still hasn’t fired the starting gun on booster jabs Sunetra Gupta: There isn’t a case for mass ‘booster’ jabs Bring back self-isolation for children if cases rise in schools, says union Booster vaccines for elderly set for go-ahead, PM signals Sturgeon accused of overseeing ‘shambolic’ vaccine passport plan C ovid-19 vaccines for healthy children aged 12-15 are not being recommended by the Government’s group of advisers.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced that it is widening the so-far limited rollout to more children in this age bracket who have underlying health conditions.
But it is not recommending mass vaccination of children aged between 12 and 15.
The programme is being extended from what had been considered the most at-risk children, to include children with chronic major heart, lung, kidney, liver and neurological conditions.
It means around 200,000 children will now be eligible for vaccines.
Following the JCVIs decision, the Chief Medical Officer’s of the UK’s four nations have been asked to further evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of vaccinating this age group.
The CMOs will consider factors such as the impact on education through sickness and isolation.
The decision comes exactly a week after the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed preparations were under way to ensure the NHS was ready to offer coronavirus jabs to all 12 to 15-year-olds in England from early September.
The department said they wanted to be “ready to hit the ground running”.
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On Off 5:22PM Danish care home residents to get third Covid jab D enmark has announced it will offer care home residents a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, starting from next week.
Magnus Heunicke, the country’s health minister, said Denmark has seen an increase in cases in nursing homes, despite 96 per cent of the people living there being fully-vaccinated.
He wrote on Twitter that “they have the greatest risk” of serious illness.
The government acted on a recommendation by the Danish Health Authority, which said the “re-vaccination of residents in nursing homes starts now, as they are at increased risk of a serious course of Covid-19″.
5:06PM UK to consult with chief medical officers on jabs for children T he four Chief Medical Officers of the UK will provide further advice on the issue of vaccinating children, after the JCVI said today it did not recommend widening the rollout to healthy teenagers, but only to more young people with underlying health conditions.
The Chief Medical Officers will discuss the issue with experts and senior leaders in clinical and public health and then will then present their advice to ministers on whether a universal programme should be taken forward.
Sajid Javid said: “People aged 12 to 15 who are clinically vulnerable to the virus have already been offered a Covid-19 vaccine, and today we’ll be expanding the offer to those with conditions such as sickle cell disease or type 1 diabetes to protect even more vulnerable children.
“Along with Health Ministers across the four nations, I have today written to the Chief Medical Officers to ask that they consider the vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.
“We will then consider the advice from the Chief Medical Officers, building on the advice from the JCVI, before making a decision shortly.”
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has already approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people aged 12 and over after they met strict standards of safety and effectiveness.
4:37PM UK records 42,076 new Covid cases and a further 121 deaths T he UK has recorded 42,076 new cases of Covid-19 and a further 121 deaths within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, according to official Government figures.
Infections increased from yesterday, when 38,154 cases were reported, but deaths fell from the 178 recorded on Thursday.
4:28PM Coronavirus around the world, in pictures J akarta, Indonesia
Students have their temperature taken on the first day of school in Jakarta, Indonesia on 30 August 2021 Credit: Dita Alangkara/AP M abul Island, Malaysia
Healthcare workers transport Covid-19 vaccines from a boat to a jetty to reach the remote Mabul Island in Malaysia on 3 September 2021 Credit: Annice Lyn/Getty Images N ew York City, US
Theatre attendees gather outside ‘Hadestown’ on its Broadway reopening night in New York City on 2 September 2021 Credit: Jeenah Moon/Reuters 3:53PM South Africa gives businesses right to mandate vaccines for staff and customers S outh Africa has announced it will leave it up to businesses to decide whether or not they want to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for their employees and customers.
Joe Phaahla, the country’s health minister, said restaurants, bars, supermarkets and other businesses must set their own policies on whether or not to mandate vaccination.
He said: “It is not our priority to start thinking about legislation and regulations which say every adult must vaccinate.
“We leave it to those who run industries and services.”
He added the government plans to persuade people to get vaccinated by offering incentives like football matches and concerts for vaccinated people.Such events are not currently permitted under Covid restrictions.
3:43PM Allowing mass infection of schoolchildren would be ‘reckless’ A ll young people aged 12 and over should be offered Covid-19 vaccines, a group of scientists have said, as they warned Gavin Williamson that allowing mass infection in schools would be “reckless”.
In a letter published in The BMJ, scientists, parents, carers and educational staff argue that policies in England mean there will soon be a large population who are “susceptible” to the virus while mixing in crowded spaces with “hardly any mitigations”.
They said children have endured “sigificant harms” throughout the pandemic, including long Covid, and added that “allowing mass infection of children is therefore reckless”.
The group also called for vaccines to be offered “to all 12 to 15-year-olds, with rollout in schools to maximise access and uptake”.
The Education Secretary said earlier this week he hoped a decision on vaccinating healthy teenagers would be made “very, very soon” by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Schools across England returned this week for the new academic year and some have raised concerns that it will lead to a spike in cases, as seen in Scotland.
Year 11 pupils get tested for Covid-19 ahead of the new school year at The Wey Valley Academy in Weymouth on 3 September 2021 Credit: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images 3:28PM UK to send Covid vaccines to COP26 delegates T he UK is shipping Covid-19 vaccines to delegates attending COP26 who cannot access the jabs in their own countries.
The COP26 climate change conference, postponed from last year due to the pandemic, will be held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12.
Experts have warned that delegates from poorer nations may not be able to attend because of vaccine shortages and access issues.
“Vaccines are shipping and vaccination will begin next week and through mid-September before second jabs in October well ahead of COP26,” the UK’s COP26 envoy John Murton said.
At the G7 the PM announced the UK would enable COVID vaccinations for all delegates coming to COP that couldn’t access them locally.Delegates registering for COP were invited to indicate whether they sought this support….
— John Murton (@JohnMurton) September 3, 2021 3:10PM UN: Air pollution emissions dropped during Covid lockdowns L arge parts of the world saw a brief drop in emissions of air pollutants last year following the implementation of Covid-19 lockdowns, according to the UN weather agency.
The World Meteorological Organisation said in its first Air Quality and Climate Bulletin that the reductions in pollution were not evenly distributed across the globe, with many parts of the world showing levels that outpaced air quality guidelines.
Some types of pollutants continued to emerge at regular or even higher levels.
“Covid-19 proved to be an unplanned air-quality experiment, and it did lead to temporary localised improvements,” said Petteri Taalas, the WMO secretary-general.
“But a pandemic is not a substitute for sustained and systematic action to tackle major drivers of both population and climate change and so safeguard the health of both people and planet.”
2:53PM Anti-vaccine protesters storm MHRA headquarters A nti-vaccine protesters are currently holding a demonstration outside the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Canary Wharf.
Protesters clash with police in Canary Wharf on 3 September 2021 Credit: Tom Nicholson/Reuters F ootage on social media shows protesters trying to force their way into the east London building.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers are at the scene.
We have officers attending a demonstration outside a commercial building on Cabot Square in Canary Wharf.
A number of officers are on scene, guarding the entrance to the building.
— Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents) September 3, 2021 2:35PM Protesters return to streets of Bangkok to call for PM’s resignation T housands of people have gathered in Bangkok to protest against the Thai government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pro-democracy protesters have clashed with police and officials for a number of weeks now, as they gather in defiance of limits on physical gatherings.
Many of the protesters are also calling for prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to resign.
Anti-government protesters flash three-finger salutes during a protest against the Thai government in Bangkok on 3 September 2021 Credit: Narong Sangnak/Shutterstock Protesters hold up lights on their mobile phones during a demonstration calling for the resignation of Thailand’s prime minister in Bangkok on 2 September 2021 Credit: Jack Taylor/AFP 2:18PM US to ship more than 1 million vaccine doses to Africa T he US will ship 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa.
The doses will be distributed amongst four African countries through the global COVAX programme, which is jointly run by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), the White House said.
The shipments include:
250,320 Moderna doses to the Democratic Republic of Congo 657,080 Moderna doses to Uganda 302,400 Johnson & Johnson doses to Guinea 5,100 Pfizer doses to the Seychelles 1:49PM Flights to resume between UK and Australia by end of 2021 A irline Qantas plans to resume travel between the UK and Australia before the end of the year, according to the Evening Standard.
The airline said it hopes to restart the flights from mid-December, as well as other routes between Australia and the US, Canada, Japan, Fiji and Singapore.
Australia was due to lift an overseas travel ban on 17 September, but it has been pushed back by three months until 17 December.
1:39PM ONS: One in 70 people in England had Covid at end of August A round one in 70 people in England (766,100 people) had Covid-19 in the week ending 27 August, according to the latest estimates from the Official for National Statistics (ONS).
This is unchanged from the week before.
In Scotland, infection rates have increased to one in 75 people, while they decreased in Northern Ireland to one in 65.
The ONS said the rate was not as clear in Wales, where one in 110 people are estimated to have coronavirus.
Latest #COVID19 estimates show infection rates are level in England in the week ending 27 August 2021.
Rates have decreased in Northern Ireland, increased in Scotland and the trend is uncertain in Wales in the week ending 28 August 2021 https://t.co/i0E73uJtiV pic.twitter.com/LlEYcQAixU
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 3, 2021 1:24PM Do you have a question about the latest Covid news and data that has not been covered? News reader questions 1:00PM Pet detective saw ‘vast increase’ in dognapping in lockdown P et detective Colin Butcher said it is “great” the Government is considering a new criminal offence of pet abduction, after the theft of animals surged during lockdown.
Mr Butcher, who runs a private detective agency for pets, says “every single” victim of pet theft is “suffering”.
He told Sky News: “It’s deeply traumatic for the owners, so it’s great to see at last what we’re going to have is recognition of that trauma.”
The former detective inspector said there had been a “vast increase” in requests to his firm, The UK Pet Detectives, last year.
He said: “We had to start saying no to people.Surge is the right word to use.It was primarily driven because there was a supply problem.
“More criminals moved into the world of dog theft and that resulted in an increase in the crimes across the country.”
12:37PM UK to send four million Pfizer vaccine doses to Australia B ritain will send four million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday, as his country raced to halt a deadly virus outbreak.
The Australian leader said the planes delivering Pfizer vaccine doses were “on the tarmac” in the UK and would deliver “four million doses of hope” within weeks.
Australia has a steady supply of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine, but residents have been hesitant to take it due to rare but highly publicised instances of blood clots.
Australia has one of the slowest vaccine rollouts among wealthy countries, with just 36.4 per cent of people over the age of 16 fully vaccinated, according to the Australian Immunisation Register.
Mr Morrison said the vaccine delivery from “Downing Street to Down Under” was a “good deal between mates”.
As part of the swap deal, Australia will transfer four million Pfizer vaccine doses to the UK at a later date.
The agreement will share doses “at the optimum time to bolster both our countries’ vaccination programmes”, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.
12:20PM Firms urged to continue making workplaces Covid safe spaces B usinesses are being urged to continue making workplaces safe for staff to return without the risk of increased Covid-19 transmission.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has called on businesses “not to let their guard down”, especially with schools reopening after the summer break and more workers planning to return to offices.
Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH’s head of health and safety, said: “This virus hasn’t gone away, with many thousands being infected daily in the UK alone and many of these cases leading to people becoming seriously ill.
“Since lockdown restrictions were eased, many businesses have continued to operate or have reopened and gradually returned to their workplaces or to work activities successfully, with measures in place to prevent and reduce the risk of the virus spreading.
“But now is not a time to be complacent so we are urging businesses to not let their guard down, as Covid-19 remains a hazard within the workplace.”
12:01PM Thailand recycles plastic bottles to make PPE O fficials in Thailand have been asking people to donate plastic bottles to be upcycled into reusable personal protective equipment (PPE).
Workers at a weaving factory in Bangkok have been using the recycled plastic to make PPE suits for Buddhist monks who work as volunteers in healthcare settings to deal with demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A woman sews a PPE suit for Buddhist monks who work as volunteers, during a drive by Bangkok officials to upcycle plastic bottles into PPE, in Bangkok, Thailand on 30 August 2021 Credit: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters Plastic bottles are seen at a public collecting point, which will be recycled and used to make PPE, in Bangkok, Thailand on 31 August 2021 Credit: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters 11:39AM Tory MP calls for ‘draconian’ Covid legislation to be rolled back C onservative MP and former Brexit minister David Davis has called for the Coronavirus Act to be rolled back, amid reports that the Government is planning to extend emergency legislation introduced during the pandemic.
Mr Davis said the Coronavirus Act – which he opposed extending for six months alongside other Tory MPs back in March – “contains some of the most draconian powers ever introduced in the UK”.
He said: “Thankfully, the crisis point of the pandemic has passed.So it is now time to roll back the extensive powers unwisely handed over to the State.”
The Coronavirus Act contains some of the most draconian powers ever introduced in the UK.
Thankfully, the crisis point of the pandemic has passed.So it is now time to roll back the extensive powers unwisely handed over to the State.
— David Davis (@DavidDavisMP) September 3, 2021 11:18AM PHE: Almost three-quarters of under-50s hospitalised with delta were unvaccinated A lmost three-quarters of people under-50 hospitalised with the delta variant of Covid-19 were unvaccinated, new data from Public Health England shows.
PHE data shows 9,472 people had been admitted to hospital in England up to 29 August who were either confirmed or likely to have the delta variant of coronavirus.
The figures show 5,098 of them were under the age of 50 while 4,374 were aged 50 or over.
Of the under-50s, 3,742 (73 per cent) were unvaccinated, while 724 (14 per cent) had received one vaccine dose and 521 (10 per cent) had received both doses.
And of the 4,374 aged 50 or over, 1,322 (30 per cent) were unvaccinated, 372 (9 per cent) had received one jab while 2,651 (61 per cent) were fully vaccinated.
PHE said a small number of virus samples from people admitted to hospital could not be matched with vaccination records.
10:58AM ‘No-one wants Pakistan off the red list more than I do’, says Foreign Secretary D ominic Raab has said he wants to see Pakistan come off the Government’s red list for travel restrictions.
The Foreign Secretary told a press conference in Pakistan: “We do understand that this is a sensitive issue and a difficult issue.
“We base our decision on the technical evidence, the scientific basis.I understand that is often contested, which is all the more reason why it’s good that the Pakistan special adviser to Prime Minister Khan will be holding expert level talks with UK public health authorities.
“We want to find a way through, no-one wants Pakistan off the red list more than I do, but we take these decisions at a technical level.
“I think the smart thing for us to do is work together to enable that to happen as soon, as safely and as responsibly it can be done.”
Travel countries on the red, green and amber list 10:38AM Growth slows in service sector as post-lockdown boom subsides T he UK’s service sector grew much slower than expected in August and at its lowest rate since March as demand returned closer to normal following a post-lockdown boom.
Yet businesses also said that they were hiring at a rate not seen for at least the last quarter century.
“The service sector lost momentum for the third consecutive month as the impact of looser pandemic restrictions faded in August,” said Tim Moore, economics director at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey.
The rate of job creation rose higher, beating the previous survey record which was set in June 2014.
Meanwhile, there are not enough candidates to fill all the jobs, which is pushing up wages.
This rise in wages is pushing up costs for the services companies, and they are in turn passing on some of this increase to their customers, the survey found.
The shortage of labour – and the number of staff who have to self-isolate because they have Covid-19 – has also put pressure on the sector, leading to unfinished projects.
Shoppers at Primark on Oxford Street, London Credit: Jamie Lorriman 10:08AM Global alliance launched to boost vaccine manufacturing capacity in lower income nations A global alliance to accelerate efforts to boost vaccine manufacturing capacity in lower income nations has been launched, amid mounting concerns at a stark global gap in access to Covid-19 vaccines, writes Sarah Newey .
Today the International Finance Corporation and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi) – a major force behind the Covax distribution scheme – have announced plans to “unlock opportunities for commercially viable vaccine production in low and middle-income countries”.
The focus will begin in Africa.Currently the continent, home to more than 1.2 billion people, imports 99 per cent of its vaccines and uses 25 per cent of global vaccine supply.The pandemic has shone a stark spotlight on challenges gaining access to jabs in the region – fewer than 2pc of Covid shots have been administered there.
“There is an urgent need to support low-income and middle-income countries to build their public health resilience and capacity to deal with emerging infectious threats,” said Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.
“Strengthening vaccine manufacturing capabilities within these countries is not only crucial for improving equitable access to vaccines, it is also a critical part of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and our collective security.”
People stand in a queue on the roadside to receive a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in Mumbai, India Credit: DIVYAKANT SOLANKI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 9:32AM AstraZeneca and EU reach settlement deal over vaccine supply issues A straZeneca and the European Commission have reached an agreement over vaccine supply issues, thereby ending the legal proceedings.
The European Commission sued the company in April for not respecting its vaccine supply contract with the EU and for not having a “reliable” plan to ensure timely deliveries.All 27 EU countries supported the legal action against AstraZeneca.
Under the settled agreement, AstraZeneca has committed to delivering 200 million doses by March 2022.
The company said that EU member states will be provided with regular delivery schedules, and capped rebates will apply in the event of any delayed doses.
Ruud Dobber, a member of AstraZeneca’s senior executive team, said: “I’m very pleased that we have been able to reach a common understanding which allows us to move forward and work in collaboration with the European Commission to help overcome the pandemic.”
To date, AstraZeneca and its partners have supplied more than 1.1 billion doses of vaccine to over 170 countries; approximately two thirds have gone to low- and lower-middle-income countries.
Credit: Virginia Mayo/AP 9:01AM UK should ‘get on with a booster programme’, says Jeremy Hunt F ormer health secretary Jeremy Hunt said the UK should “get on with a booster programme”, warning that just a few days in a pandemic can make “a big difference”.
He told the BBC Radio Four Today programme: “If you look at what’s happened in Israel, they have a higher vaccination rate even than us – 80% of adults – and they have found a Delta variant does lead to increased hospital admissions, but two weeks after they introduced boosters those admissions started to go down again.
“I understand why scientists are taking their time but I think in a pandemic politicians can also read the rooms and see the direction of travel.
“I think Anthony Harnden, on your programme yesterday gave a very clear hint – he’s from the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) that decides these things – that they are likely to recommend boosters.
“In a pandemic I think even a few days can make a big difference.So I think we should just get on, not wait for that advice, get on with a booster programme.”
8:29AM Booster vaccines showing ‘massive’ protection for people in Israel, says Ministry of Health expert I nitial results from the booster vaccination programme in Israel shows a “massive protection” for those who have received their third shot, an expert from the Israeli Ministry of Health has revealed.
Dr Asher Salmon said that the booster jab rollout in other countries should be administered “swiftly and widely” and should have “strong public diplomacy” to convince people it is safe and effective.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We already have preliminary data from vaccinating 2.4 million Israelis for a third shot…and we already have initial results showing a massive protection for people who did receive the third shot.”
Dr Salmon added that Israeli’s booster vaccination programme was in many ways a “guinea pig” for the rest of the world, since clinical trial data at that point was only done in a small capacity and not in high numbers.
He said that the preliminary data coming out of Israel shows a third Covid-19 vaccine “to be very effective and safe”.
7:42AM University academics threaten to strike over misuse of online lectures U niversities could face potential strike action if they misuse recorded lectures and withhold performance rights from staff, a union has warned.
Academics are prepared to launch industrial action against their employers if their “performance rights” and copyright over their online lectures are not upheld.
The University and College Union (UCU), which represents lecturers, issued the warning after a number of universities signalled that they intend to keep lectures online this term and adopt a blended approach to learning, with a mix of in-person and online teaching for students.
Storing old recorded lectures to reuse at a later date has the potential to “degrade student learning and academic standards”, the union said.
The UCU says staff must retain control over their recorded lectures, seminars and teaching sessions to ensure their work is not used without their permission to justify job cuts or break industrial action.
It is calling for universities and colleges to agree to an initial licensing period of no longer than one academic year, which can be extended with the express consent of the relevant member of staff.
Students show their anger and disappointment to the University of Edinburgh, after they felt they were misled after they returned to find the vast majority of their lectures and contacts were all online Credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images 7:12AM Today’s front page H ere is your Daily Telegraph for Friday, September 3.
6:51AM Japan considering easing some emergency restrictions J apan’s government is considering easing restrictions on alcohol sales in restaurants and lengthening their opening hours in areas under Covid-19 state of emergency measures, local media reported on Friday.
The restrictions could be eased between October and November depending on the progress in vaccinations, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, citing recommendations by health experts.The government may announce the easing plan after a coronavirus task force meeting on Friday.
Read more: Japan’s PM will not run for re-election as party leader
5:42AM S.Korea extends distancing curbs ahead of thanksgiving holiday S outh Korea on Friday extended social distancing curbs for several weeks to rein in Covid-19 outbreaks nationwide as the country supercharges its vaccination campaign ahead of a thanksgiving holiday later this month.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said the toughest level 4 restrictions in greater Seoul and level 3 curbs in the rest of the country would run through to Oct.
3.
However, he also announced that restaurants and cafes in the greater Seoul area would be allowed to close an hour later each evening and families would be allowed to gather in groups of up to eight people in the week of the Sept.21 Chuseok holiday.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 1,709 new cases for Thursday, 1,675 of which were locally acquired.
A woman wearing a face mask walks by signs for the precaution against the coronavirus at a park in Seoul Credit: AP 4:58AM UK to send four million vaccine doses to Australia B ritain will send four million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday, as his country raced to halt a deadly virus outbreak.
The Australian leader said the planes delivering Pfizer vaccine doses were “on the tarmac” in the UK and would deliver “four million doses of hope” within weeks.
Australia has a steady supply of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine, but residents have been hesitant to take it due to rare but highly publicised instances of blood clots.
Mr Morrison said the vaccine delivery from “Downing Street to Down Under” was a “good deal between mates”.
“Thanks Boris, I owe you a beer,” Mr Morrison said.
As part of the swap deal, Australia will transfer four million Pfizer vaccine doses to the UK at a later date.
Cases, deaths and vaccinations, coronavirus world map 3:40AM Kim orders tougher virus steps after N.Korea shuns vaccines N orth Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered officials to wage a tougher epidemic prevention campaign in “our style” after he turned down some foreign Covid-19 vaccines offered via the UN-backed immunisation programme.
During a Politburo meeting on Thursday, Kim said officials must “bear in mind that tightening epidemic prevention is the task of paramount importance which must not be loosened even a moment,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday.
While stressing the need for material and technical means of virus prevention and increasing health workers’ qualifications, Kim also called for “further rounding off our style epidemic prevention system,” KCNA said.
On Tuesday, UNICEF, which procures and delivers vaccines on behalf of the COVAX distribution program, said North Korea proposed its allotment of about 3 million Sinovac shots be sent to severely affected countries instead.North Korea was also slated to receive AstraZeneca shots through COVAX, but their delivery has been delayed.
According to UNICEF, North Korea’s health ministry still said it would continue to communicate with COVAX over future vaccines.
Some exports believe North Korea may want other vaccines, while questioning the effectiveness of Sinovac and the rare blood clots seen in some recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
1:46AM Today’s top stories After blazing trail last winter, UK appears to be falling behind as other nations embark on rollout of third vaccines to older people.
Self-isolation should be brought back for children if Covid cases rise in schools, a teaching union has said.Covid booster jabs for the elderly are set to get the green light , Boris Johnson has signalled, promising a rollout later this month.Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of overseeing “shambolic” and “knee-jerk” plans to introduce vaccine passports for nightclubs and large events in Scotland after “losing control” of the pandemic..
