The spring Covid booster programme has launched in England. From Monday 21st March, eligible individuals will be invited to have a fourth Covid vaccine. Up to 5 million people in England will be offered the booster dose. This will include over 75s, care home residents and vulnerable people in younger age groups, including children with […]
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that Covid infection numbers are rising again. ONS figures suggest that 1 in 25 people in the UK are currently infected. In Scotland, the figure could be as low as 1 in 18 people. Data indicates that a sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, is […]
Ministers in Scotland have confirmed that the most vulnerable residents will be offered a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine this spring. Spring booster jabs will be available for care home residents, over 75s and people with underlying health issues, which make them more susceptible to severe illness. Ministers have also announced that children will […]
The government has confirmed that 5-11-year-olds will be offered the Covid vaccine from April. Following advice from the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation), children aged between 5 and 11 years old will be able to access the vaccine. The rollout will start in April and children in this age group will be given […]
UK regulators have approved a fifth Covid vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Novavax, a vaccine developed in the US. The MHRA suggests that the vaccine is safe for adults and can be used as a first and second dose. Millions of doses of the Novavax vaccine are currently being […]
New data suggests that the vaccine boosters currently used in the UK reduce the risk of hospitalisation by over 85%. Data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) suggests that people who have had the booster dose are 88% less likely to end up in hospital after contracting Covid-19. This new data is relevant […]
One of the creators of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, Prof Dame Sarah Gilbert, has warned that future pandemics could be even more lethal. Prof Dame Gilbert, who was part of the team responsible for developing the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine, said that pandemics in the future could be more severe than Covid-19. Speaking at the 44th […]
UK ministers have confirmed new measures to try and limit the spread of a new variant of Covid-19. The Omicron variant, which has been identified in the UK after positive cases were first flagged in Southern Africa, is highly mutated. There are concerns that the variant will spread faster and it could limit protection provided […]
The UK medicines regulator has approved the first pill to treat patients with symptoms of Covid-19. The drug, known as molnupiravir, is the first treatment of its kind to be approved. The UK is the first country in the world to give the drug the green light. Developed by US firms Merck, Sharp and Dohme […]
Covid booster vaccines will now be available at walk-in centres across England, as ministers and health chiefs step up efforts to encourage people to have the third jab. Previously, those who were eligible for the booster jab, which is administered six months after the second dose, had to make an appointment. Now, more than 30 […]