A year ago today, the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine
Vaccination programme has been a phenomenal success, saving countless lives and reducing pressure on NHS
2.5 billion doses of the at-cost and UK-made vaccine have been administered across the world
The UK became the first country in the world to approve the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine a year ago today (30 December),
Early investment in the Oxford team, in their technology since 2016 and their COVID-19 vaccines since March 2020, paved the way for approval by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), driven forward by the National Institute for Health Research’s (NIHR) world leading research.
The NIHR helped recruit thousands of volunteers from across the UK for Phase 3 trials and supported the researchers.
Almost 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in the UK, saving countless lives, keeping people out of hospital and reducing the pressure on the NHS.
Following the government investing more than £88 million to help research, develop and manufacture the vaccine, around 2.5 billion doses have been distributed at-cost to more than 170 countries.
Almost two-thirds of these have gone to low and lower-middle-income countries, including more than 30 million doses donated by the UK through COVAX or bilaterally. The UK will donate a further 20 million AstraZeneca doses to countries in need next year as part of the government’s commitment to donate 100 million doses overall.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Our fight against COVID-19 in the UK and around the world would not have been possible without the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Developed by brilliant scientists at Oxford and delivered on a not-for-profit basis thanks to AstraZeneca, this vaccine has provided 50 million doses to the British public and over 2.5 billion to more than 170 other countries.
“We can all be incredibly proud of – and grateful for – a jab that has saved many millions of lives.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today marks one year since the UK made history by being the first country in the world to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine – a UK-made and government-funded vaccine which has been absolutely pivotal in helping to save millions of lives around the world.
“I’m incredibly proud of the role the UK has played in developing, researching and manufacturing ground-breaking vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.
“Vaccines are the best way to protect people from COVID-19 and I’m urging everybody to play their part in this national mission – roll up your sleeves and get your jabs.”
Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “One year on, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played a crucial part in our fight against COVID-19, saving the lives of the most vulnerable and helping to reduce the spread of the virus.
“It’s a remarkable example of British innovation and scientific excellence – please take advantage and get your vaccines as soon as you can to protect yourself this winter.”
The COVID-19 vaccination programme is the largest in British history and was established at unprecedented speed, with thousands of vaccine centres set up rapidly in England, meaning around 98% of people live within 10 miles of a vaccination clinic.
The government’s Vaccine Taskforce secured early access to almost 340 million doses of the most promising vaccine candidates in advance for the entire UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, enabling a rapid deployment once approved by the medicines regulator.
The UK led the world in vaccine research, providing results for three of the successful vaccine candidates through huge Phase 3 trials for Oxford AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax vaccines.
The Novavax trial is the largest ever double blind placebo controlled trial in the UK, recruiting 15,000 participants from 35 research sites in just over two months.
Tom Keith-Roach, President of AstraZeneca UK, said: “I am quietly humbled and hugely proud of the work we have done together to get 50 million doses into people’s arms here in the UK and over 2.5 billion doses to people in over 170 countries globally in less than 12 months.
“This has only been possible thanks to the tireless efforts and is to the huge credit of so many colleagues, partners, healthcare workers, volunteers and members of the public who have stepped forward to support this unprecedented national effort.
“There remain huge challenges ahead, much vital work is still to be done, but in 2021 we achieved remarkable things and this should give us confidence and renewed hope for 2022.”
NHS Lothian will re-launch a city centre mass vaccination centre as part of the battle to beat the OMICRON variant of COVID-19.
Vaccination teams will move back into the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) to open on Tuesday at 9am (December 21) to help provide lifesaving vaccines to as many people as possible.
The clinic will offer a combination of booked and drop-in appointments to help make it as easy for people to get their booster.
Just a month ago, on November 16, the programme was delivering 5,500 booster vaccines. Now a total of 10,942 doses are being administered in one day.
NHS Lothian is confident that the reintroduction of the EICC and opening of the Corn Exchange in East Lothian will help boost that figure even higher.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “Vaccination is more important now than it has ever been and we are really pleased to be back in the EICC in the heart of the city once more.
“We would urge anyone who still needs a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine to make an appointment or drop in to the EICC or one of the many other clinics in Lothian as soon as they are eligible.
“The best way to get your vaccine is to book in advance, using the online booking portal. That way you can avoid queues and help keep everyone safe.
“We are expecting our sites, especially our dedicated drop-in clinics, to be busier than ever before. We will run separate queues for booked and drop-in appointments, but people should be prepared to wait if they are attending a drop-in. If you do have to queue, please be sure to wear a face mask over your mouth and nose and keep your distance – even if you’re outside.”
Vaccination teams have been working flat out with EICC team to prepare the clinic for a re-opening as part of the nationwide effort to help protect lives.
Marshall Dallas, CEO of the EICC, said: “We are proud to continue to support NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland with the roll-out of the vaccine and now the vaccine booster.
“Traditionally, our venue would be closed over the Festive period, allowing our team annual leave during this time, so I can’t credit our people enough for giving up their holiday time to be on site at the venue to make this possible.
“Since re-opening to events in August, we have safely and successfully hosted a series of back-to-back conferences, and we look forward to welcoming delegates back to the EICC early in the new year.”
A total of 15 vaccination stations will run in the Cromdale Hall initially while more work is done to extend the facility to provide 25 booths. The rest of the venue, including the Lennox Suite, will continue as normal for conference and events.
Mr Wynne added: “We are grateful to all of the teams from the EICC for working with us once again and helping to pull this together at such short notice. Centre staff would normally be on annual leave soon and they have cancelled their holidays over the festive period just to help re-launch the clinic – we could not be more thankful.”
The EICC will join a list of other vaccination centres, which are being run by the four Health and Social Care Partnerships within Lothian, and is designed to bolster those efforts.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a COVID-19 press conference last night following news that the UK had just recorded the highest ever daily number of Covid cases:
Good afternoon everybody.
As of today, every eligible adult in England can use the national booking service to Get Boosted Now.
If you’re over 18 and had your second jab at least three months ago, then you can get jabbed right now. And it’s absolutely vital that you do.
Because the wave of Omicron continues to roll in across the whole of our United Kingdom, with over 78,000 Covid cases today, the highest ever daily number reported, and the doubling rate of Omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days.
And I’m afraid we are also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalisations, up by 10 per cent nationally week on week and up by almost a third in London.
But we are also seeing signs of hope, because since we launched our Emergency Omicron appeal on Sunday night a great national fight back has begun and people have responded with an amazing spirit of duty and obligation to others.
And I want to say that each and every one of you who rolls up your sleeve to get jabbed is helping this national effort.
And I want to thank everyone who has come forwards, whether you’ve had to queue around the block at a walk-in centre, or whether you’ve booked online.
And, of course, on behalf of the whole country, I want to thank our NHS, our GPs our pharmacists, who with barely a day’s notice – 48 hours’ notice, have so accelerated the programme that we began this week with the biggest Vaccination Monday ever in England and yesterday the biggest booster day yet, with more than 650,000 boosters delivered across the whole UK.
And across the country, after all they have been through, those teams are going to keep going through Christmas and beyond.
Jab heroes like Kim Kirk, leading the King’s Mill hospital vaccination hub in Mansfield, who was asked a year ago to do it for four weeks and has been doing it ever since, with 180,000 jabs and counting.
Dr Laura Mount and the team at Central and West Warrington PCN, who have been organising pop-up vaccination clinics for the homeless.
Or the team at Home Park in Plymouth who have been regularly jabbing until 2am, because they just carry on for as long as there are people there wanting a booster.
And I want to thank those from every walk of life who are stepping forward to support them.
The military personnel deployed across every region of the country, including an additional 100 in Scotland from yesterday – as well as 2,500 firefighters.
And since Sunday night, we’ve seen more than 20,000 new volunteers signing up to help with the booster effort as stewards, taking the total number to almost 33,000.
With every day we’re expanding the ranks of these healthcare auxiliaries, an emerging Territorial Army of the NHS – in a race against time to get those jabs in arms and save lives.
And if you’re watching this and you want to get involved, just visit the website nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk and do something this Christmas that you can tell your grandchildren about many Christmases from now.
In total, we’ve now boosted more than 45 per cent of all adults in England, including more than 88 per cent of those aged 70 and over,
And while hospital admissions are going up, nationwide we are starting to see admissions coming down among some of the more vulnerable older age groups where we have already got those boosters in arms.
From tomorrow, we’re speeding things up even further by removing the 15 minute post-vaccination waiting time.
And while we’re at it, from Monday, 12 to 15 year olds can book in for a second jab.
And we know how crucial it is to keep children in school, so let’s all make sure our children and young people are vaccinated before they go back next term.
As we take forward our national mission, we are of course supporting similar efforts by the Devolved Administrations, which are also rapidly increasing vaccination rates across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A COBR meeting with Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast is taking place this evening.
But already the pace of rollout across the four nations is such that the UK as a whole now has twice as many boosters per head as the EU and more than twice as many as the United States.
So let’s keep going.
Let’s carry on giving Omicron both barrels.
Let’s slow its spread and give the vaccines more time:
Wear face masks indoors
Use ventilation
Get tested if you’re going to an event where you’re likely to meet lots of people
And get tested if you’re going to meet elderly and vulnerable relatives.
And we’re helping to get you the tests that you need. I want to thank the Royal Mail who are doubling home deliveries of testing kits to 900,000 a day from Saturday.
So let’s slow down Omicron’s spread – and at the same let’s reduce the harm Omicron can do to us by building up our vaccine defences.
We’re jabbing in hospitals, we’re jabbing in surgeries, We’re jabbing in pharmacies and in pop-up centres, We’re jabbing in shopping centres and on high streets and in football stadiums – with mass events planned at Stamford Bridge and Wembley this weekend and daily “jabbathons” at Elland Road in Leeds.
We’re throwing everything at it.
Wherever you are, we’ll be there with a jab for you.
Online portal extended and changes to flu delivery
A range of measures are being introduced to speed up the COVID-19 booster programme, and give protection against the spreading Omicron variant.
The online booking portal will be open to everyone aged 18-29 from 10am this morning, allowing this age group to book booster appointments through the NHS Inform website.
Appointments are being added to the online portal daily and COVID-19 vaccination capacity is being increased over the festive period.
In order to increase the number of appointments, there will also be a prioritisation of booster vaccines over the remainder of the flu programme. This means anyone who is under the age of 65, or not in one of the high risk groups, will receive their COVID-19 booster only. This group will instead be able to get their flu vaccine in the New Year.
In line with advice from the four UK Chief Medical Officers, and in order to improve the flow of people through vaccination centres, people will no longer have to wait 15 minutes after receiving an MRNA vaccine. Instead, in Scotland the programme clinical governance group has recommended there is an observation period of five minutes, reflecting guidance from the Resuscitation Council.
Also, all NHS board areas are working to increase the availability of drop-in clinics – with a particular focus on the over 40s – and to identify larger sites that can be brought online in the coming weeks.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The most important thing we can all do to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19 is to get our vaccinations and boosters when eligible. The vaccines we have are highly effective and safe and I urge anyone who is eligible and not yet vaccinated to book an appointment.
“There is a massive national effort underway to ensure that all adults will be able to book a booster appointment before the end of the year. The steps announced by the First Minister today – which are proportionate and based on clinical advice – will help us towards that goal.
“Scotland already has the highest vaccination rate of all UK nations for first, second and third doses and we continue to follow clinical advice from the JCVI on offering booster jags through age cohorts in descending order to ensure maximum benefit.
“Demand for boosters may mean you may have to wait in a queue at drop-in centres but we urge everyone to be patient. We have plenty of supplies and are working with Health Boards to maximise vaccination capacity as quickly and safely as we possibly can.
“The emergence of the Omicron variant means it is also particularly important that we continue to take all precautions to prevent transmission. So test regularly for the virus, particularly before socialising and meeting up with others from outside your household, wear face marks where required and open windows to improve ventilation.”
To use the online portal, individuals will need their unique vaccination username which can be found on any previous appointment letter.
4,323 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Scotland yesterday – highest ever figure
Cases more than DOUBLE in one week
City of Edinburgh Council Leaders have appealed to the public to keep sticking to the rules and looking out for one another, as Scottish Covid cases more than double in one week.
Their plea follows an update by the First Minister yesterday, when she urged those who were eligible for the vaccination to take it up, while reminding people to continue following the ‘basic steps’ to reduce risk, including hand hygiene, distancing where possible and good ventilation indoors. She also confirmed plans to establish a public inquiry into the handling of the Covid crisis by the end of 2021.
Most Covid restrictions were removed when Scotland moved out of level 0 on 9 August. This included the need to physically distance in most settings and for close contacts of those who test positive for Covid to self-isolate, as long as they’re fully vaccinated.
However, the use of face coverings is still required in some public spaces and people are encouraged to keep themselves and others safe by getting tested regularly. Leaders have also urged everyone aged over 16 to take up their offer of a vaccination if they have not done so already to help protect one another and limit the rise in case numbers.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The move out of level 0 of the Covid restrictions framework signalled a return to some sense of normality in many areas of our lives but we have to remember that this virus has not gone away, as rising infections demonstrate.
“It’s great to see businesses reopening, people meeting up with friends and loved ones more easily and schools at full capacity. However, we must not be complacent – as the First Minister said, the recent surge in cases is a cause of real concern.
“We really need everyone who’s eligible, especially those in the youngest cohort aged 16 and over, to take up their offer of a vaccine. Covid has the potential to make patients of any age very ill, including, in some cases, long Covid.
“The only way we can avoid that, and truly beat the virus, is through vaccinating everyone who’s eligible, as well as sticking to the basic hygiene, distancing and mask-wearing guidance to limit its spread.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “We’ve all worked so hard over the last year and a half to do everything we can to limit the spread of this virus – there’s no reason to stop now, particularly as cases continue to rise steeply. This is the moment we all need to do our bit, take care to stick to the rules and get tested regularly, if we are to get through this without restrictions being reintroduced.
“We’re glad that the First Minister has confirmed plans to open a public inquiry into the handling of the Covid pandemic in Scotland. The lessons learned from this will be essential if we are ever to face a pandemic like this again.”
As part of a drive encouraging people to get vaccinated, young people have shared their experiences of suffering long COVID in a powerful new video.
Young coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have told their stories of battling the virus and suffering long-term debilitating effects as part of a new film encouraging people to get their vaccines.
The video features several patients who experienced serious symptoms of COVID-19 or developed long COVID, as well as the doctors and frontline staff who treated them, to warn of the dangers of the virus for those who are not vaccinated. It is narrated by A&E doctor, Dr Emeka Okorocha.
It comes as people aged 16 to 17 in England are offered a COVID-19 vaccine by today (Monday 23 August), meeting the government’s target. More than 360,000 have already been vaccinated and letters and texts were sent last week to the remaining people inviting them to book an appointment with their GP or visit their nearest walk-in centre.
All at-risk people aged 12 to 15 in England have also been invited for a vaccination and young people are encouraged to take up the offer as soon as possible to build vital protection before returning to school in September.
The latest figures show that hospitals are seeing a rise in unvaccinated young adults admitted with COVID-19. A fifth of COVID-19 hospital admissions in England are aged 18 to 34 – 4 times higher than the peak in the winter of 2020.
The patients who feature in the new short film have issued a rallying call: young people should take up the vaccine to avoid suffering a similar fate.
Quincy Dwamena, a 31-year-old videographer and support worker from East London, who spent 2 weeks in hospital with COVID-19 after putting off the vaccine, said: “I’m a healthy, young guy. I went to the gym often and have no underlying health concerns.
“I put off getting the vaccine because I thought the way I was living my life would mean there would be little to no chance of me catching the virus, or it would have little effect.
“But I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die. My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”
Megan Higgins, a 25-year-old special needs tutor from London who is suffering from long COVID, pleaded with others to get vaccinated. She said: “I was always careful about catching COVID-19, but I’m healthy and active so thought if I catch it, I’d probably brush it off.
“It’s now been 8 months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted. Long COVID is debilitating so please, get vaccinated. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”
Ella Harwood, a 23-year-old illustrator from London, said: “I’m young and fit but I was bed-bound for 7 months with COVID-19. Before I caught the virus, I was super active and had no health concerns, but I now suffer with asthma which I didn’t have before and a number of allergies.
“I fear I’ll never be the same again but I’m making progress and I’m very grateful that I’m still alive. Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already.”
Young people in England aged 16 and 17 are able to get vaccinated at one of more than 800 GP-led local vaccination sites and NHS England has launched an online walk-in site finder to help this age group locate the nearest available centre. Further sites will come online over the coming days and weeks.
A total of 89,070,370 people have been vaccinated in the UK, including 47,573,794 people with a first dose (87.5%) and 41,496,576 people with a second dose (76.3%).
Uptake among under 30s is lowest in London where the interviews were filmed.
According to data from Public Health England, the highest COVID-19 case rates are among 20 to 29-year-olds with a case rate of 670.7 cases per 100,000 people in the 7 days to August 8, up week-on-week from 628.6.
More than 1 in 20 people aged 16 to 29 (6.3%) have had long COVID, which is higher than the national average. Many of these have said long COVID has had a major impact on their lives, especially the ability to exercise, work, and maintain relationships.
TV doctor and emergency medicine physician, Dr Emeka Okorocha said: “As an A&E doctor, I’ve seen a lot during the pandemic. But nothing has shaken me like the sight of young, otherwise healthy adults, being rushed into our hospitals with COVID-19.
“As well as their age, many of them have one other thing in common: they are unvaccinated. Vaccines truly are the way out of this pandemic and are the best way to protect everyone from the virus, so please get your vaccine.”
Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, the dominant strain in the UK. The analysis shows the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after 2 doses.
In all age groups the odds of experiencing symptoms for more than 28 days after post-vaccination infection was approximately halved by 2 vaccinations.
COVID-19 vaccines have saved around 95,200 lives and prevented 82,100 hospitalisations and 23.9 million infections in England alone, the latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows.
Alongside Dr Emeka and patients, the film features interviews with the frontline workers who have been treating young COVID-19 patients.
Tom Williamson, physiotherapist at Epsom and St Hellier Hospital Trust who features in the film, said: “We’re treating more and more young COVID-19 patients who are still suffering with long COVID and it’s heart-breaking to see. Patients are experiencing extreme fatigue which means they can no longer do the things they love, and some have had to quit work.
“My message is clear, COVID-19 can affect anyone, regardless of your age or lifestyle so please get vaccinated. It’s the best way to protect yourself and others.”
The government is working closely with the NHS to make it as easy as possible to get a vaccine, including through ‘grab a jab’ pop-up vaccine sites across the country, such as London-based nightclub Heaven, as well as football stadiums and festivals up and down the country.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Vaccines are building a wall of defence in the UK and allowing us to safely live with this virus without restrictions.
“Regardless of whether you’re young, fit and healthy, these harrowing stories really show that COVID-19 can affect anyone. I encourage everyone to come forward for both their jabs as quickly as possible as vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness.”
Advice and information on the benefits of vaccination have been shared at every opportunity, including through a range of partnerships with industries catering for predominantly younger audiences.
This work has included partnerships with high-profile entertainment and sports personalities on short films encouraging people to get the jab, such as film stars Jim Broadbent and Thandiwe Newton, and football figures Harry Redknapp and Chris Kamara.
The UK Government has also partnered with dating apps, social media platforms and large companies, such as Uber, Asda and Deliveroo, on adverts and incentives to get the vaccine. For example, Asda will offer £10 vouchers for their clothing brand George at select stores to 18 to 30-year-olds who spend over £20, and Deliveroo will be distributing thousands of £5 vouchers over the coming weeks.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “There is no doubt the COVID-19 vaccination programme is having a major impact, keeping around 82,100 people out of hospital and saving an estimated 95,200 lives in England.
“But we are seeing more unvaccinated young people in hospital now than ever before. Please don’t delay – get your jabs to avoid a similar fate to these brave people who have shared their stories.”
“By far the best course of action for you and your baby is to get both doses of the vaccine”
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer is urging pregnant women to get the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to protect them and their baby.
Following a recent study showing evidence of increased hospitalisations, Dr Gregor Smith is encouraging all expectant mothers to discuss the vaccine with their healthcare professionals so they can make a fully informed choice.
The UK Obstetric Service (UKOSS) published research last month which showed the number of pregnant women being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 across the UK is increasing, with many experiencing acute symptoms.
The report also suggests the Delta variant is associated with an increased risk of severe illness among hospitalised pregnant women.
Dr Smith said: “Firstly I want to thank all our healthcare staff for everything they are doing across Scotland not just in relation to the wider vaccination programme but also for their efforts to ensure good outcomes for women, families and babies during the pandemic.
“We have written to heath boards and GPs to ensure they are aware of all the latest evidence-based advice and guidance to enable them to fully discuss the very clear positive benefits of the vaccine with their patients.
“Recent data shows the number of pregnant women being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 has risen, and that is concerning. Evidence suggests that the Delta variant may be associated with an increased risk of severe illness among hospitalised pregnant women.
“We want all pregnant women to have the information they need to make an informed choice, so if you have any concerns or questions, please speak to your midwife, GP, or go along to a drop-in clinic. By far the best course of action for you and your baby is to get both doses of the vaccine.”
New government-funded clinical trial investigating best COVID-19 vaccine dose interval for pregnant women launched in England
Research shows pregnant women more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 and 98% of those in hospital due to COVID-19 are unvaccinated
The UK’s largest clinical trial investigating the best gap between first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses for pregnant women is being launched in England today (Tuesday 3 August).
Following 130,000 pregnant women being vaccinated in the US and no safety concerns being raised, the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were recommended by the independent experts at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for pregnant women in the UK.
Almost 52,000 pregnant women in England have now been vaccinated – again, with no safety concerns reported.
Data published last week by NHS England and the University of Oxford also shows no pregnant women who have had both doses of a vaccine have been admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Only three have been admitted after having their first dose, meaning 98% of those admitted to hospital have not received a jab.
The Preg-CoV study, backed by £7.5 million of government funding and led by St George’s, University of London, will provide vital clinical trial data on the immune response to vaccination at different dose intervals – either four to six weeks or eight to 12 weeks.
This data will help determine the best dosage interval and tell us more about how the vaccine works to protect pregnant mothers and their babies against COVID-19.
Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi said: “Pregnant women are more likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 and we know that vaccines are safe for them and make a huge difference – in fact no pregnant woman with two jabs has required hospitalisation with COVID-19.
“This government-backed trial will provide more data about how we can best protect pregnant women and their babies, and we can use this evidence to inform future vaccination programmes. I encourage anyone who is pregnant and eligible to sign-up and contribute to research that will save lives for years to come.”
Vaccines have been given to pregnant women to protect them and their babies from diseases for years – including for whooping cough and flu.
The trial will involve over 600 pregnant women being vaccinated with either the Pfizer/BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine. They will be closely monitored by health professionals throughout their pregnancy and following the birth, with the safety of the women taking part in the trial the utmost priority.
The Preg-CoV participants will need to be between 18 and 44 years old, have no health conditions and be between 13 and 34 weeks pregnant on the day of vaccination. They will receive two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine – or one dose if they’ve already had their first – at either the shorter interval of four to six weeks, or the longer interval of eight to 12 weeks.
They will be scheduled to attend nine visits in total and will be required to complete an electronic diary between visits on any symptoms. They will also be given a 24-hour mobile number so they can contact one of the trial team at any time if they have concerns.
The scientists behind the trial will analyse blood samples from the participants and one blood sample from their newborn babies, alongside samples from breastmilk. They will use the samples to help understand more about how the vaccines are protecting these individuals from COVID-19, with initial results expected by the end of the year.
The study will open for applications from volunteers today via the study’s website, with vaccinations set to start from mid-August. Participants will also be recruited to the study by invites sent through the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry, which allows research teams to speak to suitable volunteers who have signed up to be contacted about taking part in vaccine studies.
Chief Investigator and Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at St George’s, University of London, Professor Paul Heath said: “Tens of thousands of pregnant women have now been vaccinated in both the US and the UK with no safety concerns reported, but we still lack robust, prospective clinical trial data on COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women. This includes the best schedule to use to maximally protect them against COVID-19.
“We are extremely pleased to commence the Preg-CoV trial, which aims to fill these gaps in our knowledge and will ultimately inform policy recommendations on the optimal use of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy.
The trial will be run across 13 National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) sites in England – including in London, Liverpool and Leeds. All the trial sites are working on ways of including participants from a wide variety of backgrounds and individuals from ethnic minorities are encouraged to apply.
The vaccination programme continues its phenomenal progress towards vaccinating the adult population of the UK, with over 85,336,436 vaccines administered in total – 46,872,411 first doses (88.6%) and 38,464,025 second doses (72.7%).
Further analysis from PHE and the University of Cambridge also suggests vaccines have so far prevented over 52,600 hospitalisations, an estimated 22 million infections and more than 60,000 deaths in England alone.
Dr Pat O’Brien, Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “We now have robust data of nearly 200,000 women from across the US and the UK, who have received the COVID-19 vaccine with no safety concerns.
“This tells us that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are safe in pregnancy. However, more research is needed to monitor and understand how pregnant women respond to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We welcome this trial as the next step in further monitoring the protection provided by the vaccine, to understand the risk of any potential adverse side effects, and observe the immune response within those who are pregnant and their babies.
“We encourage all pregnant women to get vaccinated, as the protection that it provides against COVID-19 to both mother and baby outweigh the risks. We are seeing more pregnant women being admitted to hospital with COVID-19, and we know that the Delta variant is causing more pregnant women to have severe illness than previous strains of the virus.
“We hope that this research will help to gain the confidence of pregnant women that the recommendation of vaccination in pregnancy is based on robust evidence.”
Professor Nick Lemoine, Medical Director, NIHR Clinical Research Network, said: “The fact that every participant in this study receives an approved vaccine will give volunteers peace of mind that they are protected from the virus and that they can take confidence in the safety of these vaccines, and the monitoring involved in the study.
“Vaccine studies like this remain crucial for researchers to gain more information on the best intervals and methods to help protect the whole population against COVID-19.
“It is thanks to the continued dedication and commitment of volunteers that we are at this stage of research and the NIHR is very grateful for their efforts.
“The NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Research Registry continues to help us reach out to potential participants and recruit to additional studies as we keep moving forward, and we encourage interested members of the public to sign up to be contacted at nhs.uk/ResearchContact.”
Free seasonal flu vaccine to be made available for over 35 million people this year
Millions more people could benefit from a free flu vaccine this year, as the Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid announces the most comprehensive flu vaccination programme in UK history today
School programme expanded to provide flu vaccine to all secondary school pupils up to Year 11
Expanded programme follows record 19 million seasonal flu jabs administered in winter 2020
From September 2021, providers will offer the flu vaccine to over 35 million people during the upcoming winter season, including all secondary school students up to Year 11 for the first time. This builds on the success of last year’s expanded flu programme, which saw a record number of people get their jab.
Last year, 4 in 5 (80.9%) people aged 65 and over in England received their flu vaccine – exceeding the World Health Organization uptake ambition of 75%.
Working with the NHS, the government is preparing to deliver the expanded flu programme alongside any booster programme for COVID-19 vaccines as part of wider autumn and winter planning, which centres around protecting as many lives as possible.
During the 2021/22 season, which starts in September, the flu jab will be available to:
all children aged two and three on 31 August 2021
all children in primary school and all children in school Years 7 to 11 in secondary school
those aged six months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups
pregnant women
those aged 50 years and over
unpaid carers
close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
frontline health and adult social care staff
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: Flu can be a serious illness and we want to build a wall of protection by immunising a record number of people.
“With the nation getting closer to normal life, we must learn to live with COVID-19 alongside other viruses and we’re offering the free flu jab to millions more people to help keep them safe this winter.
“The phenomenal scale of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is a clear demonstration of the positive impact vaccination can make and I encourage all those eligible to get their flu jab when called forward.”
The enlarged flu drive will build on last year’s expanded flu programme, where flu vaccinations opened up to 50 to 64-year-olds and year 7 pupils for the first time, with the aim of offering protection to as many eligible people as possible.
For frontline healthcare workers and two and three-year olds, the highest ever recorded levels of flu vaccine uptake were also achieved last year. This year, all frontline health and social care workers will be offered the flu vaccination again to ensure they, and the people they care for, are protected.
Eligible groups are urged to get their free vaccine every year and to protect themselves and the most vulnerable people in society ahead of the winter.
As a result of non-pharmaceutical interventions in place for COVID-19 – such as mask-wearing, physical and social distancing, and restricted international travel – flu levels were lower than expected across the world in 2020/21.
It is possible there will be higher levels of flu this winter, with more of the population susceptible given the low levels last season. The flu vaccine offers the best available protection against the virus and the public can reduce the spread of flu and other winter bugs by regularly washing hands, throwing away used tissues and practising good hygiene.
Alongside this flu drive, the government is preparing for a booster programme of COVID-19 vaccines and the Joint Committee on Vaccination (JCVI) and Immunisation has published interim advice on who would be prioritised for a possible third vaccine from September 2021.
The booster programme – which would be designed to ensure millions of people most vulnerable to COVID-19 continue to have the protection they need ahead of the winter and against new variants – will be informed by the JCVI’s final advice expected later this summer based on the very latest scientific data.
The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Improvement, and Public Health England have today issued the 2021/22 annual flu letter to providers, setting out plans for this year’s expanded programme. This blueprint will ensure GP practices, pharmacies and school-based providers are mobilised to begin administering flu vaccines from September.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, said: “The flu vaccine is safe, effective and protects millions of people each year from what can be a devastating illness.
“Last winter, flu activity was extremely low, but this is no reason for complacency as it means less people have built up a defence against the virus. Combined with the likelihood that COVID-19 will still be circulating, this makes the coming flu season highly unpredictable.
“We will be preparing for a challenging winter by expanding our world-leading flu vaccination programme to over 35 million people, saving more lives and limiting the impact on the NHS and social care.”
Dr Nikita Kanani, NHS medical director for primary care, said: “NHS staff across England vaccinated record numbers of people against flu last year – a potentially fatal illness – and they continue to pull out all the stops to deliver the biggest and most successful NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme in health history, protecting their patients and communities.
“Getting your free flu vaccine if you are eligible as well as keeping up good habits like regularly washing your hands could help save your life, so please do come forward when you are invited to give you and your loved ones vital protection this winter.”
The childhood flu programme aims to protect children and contain the spread of the virus to babies and vulnerable adults they may be in contact with. The nasal spray vaccine is offered to 2 and 3-year-olds and children in primary school and Year 7 and, for the first time this year, secondary school aged children up to Year 11.
The British Medical Association is urging the Government to keep some targeted measures to control the spread of Covid-19 in place after 19 July in England, amid a continued worrying rise in case numbers.
Weekly cases in England are up 74% on the previous seven days, while the number of people admitted to hospitals in England with Covid-19 has risen by 55% over the last week.
The 19th of July – in just over two weeks’ time – is the earliest time the Government has said it will consider removing all legal restrictions, however both the Prime Minister and the new Health and Social Care Secretary have indicated that some measures could stay beyond this date – something the BMA says is crucial to stop spiralling case numbers having a devastating impact on people’s health, the NHS, the economy and education.
The BMA says these measures and support should include:
Ongoing requirements to wear a mask in enclosed public spaces, such as public transport, shops, healthcare settings and in communal areas in educational settings, where adequate ventilation and distancing are often not possible.
Significantly improved public messaging and education, emphasising that while the virus continues to circulate, practising social distancing and meeting outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces – and wearing masks when this is not possible – remains the best way to reduce risk of infection and keep yourself safe.
Greater guidance and support for businesses and educational settings to create sustainable, Covid-secure environments, as well as enforcement of standards.
Emphasis on the importance of good ventilation, including setting legal standards. Financial and other support for businesses and educational settings must be made available to implement these requirements ahead of the autumn and winter period, when respiratory viruses spread more easily and buildings must be kept warm, limiting options for natural ventilation.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “As case numbers continue to rise at an alarming rate due to the rapid transmission of the Delta variant and an increase in people mixing with one another, it makes no sense to remove restrictions in their entirety in just over two weeks’ time.
“The promise was to make decisions based on data and not dates, and while we were pleased to see the Government react to data in delaying the easing on 21 June last month, ministers must not now simply disregard the most recent, damning, numbers by rushing into meeting their new 19th July deadline.
“It’s not a binary decision of ‘all or nothing’, and the sensible, cautious measures that we are proposing, will be vital in minimising not just the impact of rising case numbers on people’s individual health and the health service, but also wider damage to the economy and society, caused by even further waves, new variants and lockdowns.
“We have made excellent progress with both the vaccination campaign and individual action from people across the country over the last 18 months, and the Government must absolutely not throw this away at this critical juncture.
“While the vaccination programme continues at pace, a significant proportion of people remain either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. This is on top of those who cannot receive the jab or the small number for whom immunisation will be ineffective.
“Neither will all those vaccinated by 19th July be properly protected given it takes about two weeks after the second dose to confer maximum immunity. This means we are still some way from protecting enough of the population from this devastating illness to control the spread.
“Meanwhile although hospitalisations remain relatively low in comparison to the steep rise in cases, the numbers are increasing at pace, with twice as many Covid patients in beds and on ventilators than this time last month.
“This is a particular worry for doctors and their colleagues who are faced with a record backlog of care put on hold by the first waves of the pandemic, and in which even modest increases in hospital admissions will undermine treating the 5 million patients currently on waiting lists.
“Even if people aren’t getting admitted to hospital at the same rate, spiralling levels of community transmission provides a fertile ground for new, potentially vaccine-resistant variants to develop.
“Also worrying is evidence that one in 10 people suffer longer-term impacts of long-Covid after even a mild infection, with an estimated 2 million people in England having lived with long-lasting symptoms. These factors could have serious consequences for the NHS and public health teams as well as business, education and wider society – therefore stemming the spread of the virus in the community with a series of manageable, targeted measures must be the priority right now.
“Everyone appreciates the efforts and sacrifices we have all made so far to suppress the spread of the virus, and it would be tragic if we were to undo this good work now. We are not asking for a full delay on 19th July, rather a series of sensible, targeted measures that will help prevent transmission of the virus while having a minimal impact on people’s daily lives.
“Our appeal is to both the Government to keep appropriate measures in place, and to the public to continue acting in a careful, responsible manner – giving other people space, wearing face coverings in areas where physical distancing isn’t possible and recognising that the virus won’t simply stop posing a serious danger in two weeks’ time.”
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted yesterday that Scotland’s so-called ‘Freedom Day’is still on track for August, despite a huge surge in coronavirus cases that threatens to pile further pressure on hospitals and health services struggling to cope.
She urged people to get vaccinated at yesterday’s Coronavirus media briefing:
Good afternoon. Thanks for joining Jason and I. There are a few issues I want to cover today – including some important information about vaccinations.
But I will start with a summary of today’s statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 3,823.
That is 10.8% of all of the tests carried out.
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 289,279.
There are 285 people currently in hospital – which is 10 more than yesterday.
And 19 people are in intensive care, which is 3 more than yesterday.
Unfortunately 4 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths under our daily definition, is now 7,726.
As always, my condolences are with everyone who has been bereaved.
Let me also briefly update on the vaccination programme.
As of this morning, 3,831,770 people have received a first dose of the vaccine.
That’s an increase of 15,519 since yesterday.
In addition, 14,622 people got a second dose yesterday. That brings the total number of second doses to 2,737,347. Now today’s vaccine numbers actually take us across quite a significant milestone. More than 60% of those eligible for the vaccine have now had both doses, but as of today, more than 50% of the entire population is now fully vaccinated. That is an important milestone and one that will be increasing our levels of protection against this virus.
I have a couple of points that I want to cover before I reflect on the overall course of the pandemic, and stress some of our key public health messages, which are of particular importance given the high number of cases that are being reported right now.
The first is to confirm that further funding for Covid matters is being made available to health boards today.
Almost £380 million is being allocated to help with additional costs this year – including for the vaccination programme, the test and protect system, and personal and protective equipment.
This is on top of the £1.7 billion for Covid which was allocated last year to Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships.
Further funding will of course be made available as necessary over the course of the year.
Although we hope we are in the process of emerging from the pandemic, we can see from the situation at the moment, that Covid will continue to place pressures on our health and care services – so we will continue to ensure that they have all the funding that they need to respond to those pressures.
The second point I want to cover relates to vaccination. Getting vaccinated is probably the single most important thing any of us can do right now.
That’s why I strongly welcome a joint statement that has been issued this morning by business organisations and the Scottish Government. It urges people to get vaccinated – and also urges employers to encourage and support employees to get vaccinated.
The statement recognizes that a successful vaccination programme is crucial obviously for our public health, but if it protects our public health then it will always also be good for the economy. So anything employers can do to support people to get vaccinated, will be beneficial for them, as well as for their workers.
That said, the Government has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the vaccination programme is effective – and we are working with health boards to make sure it is as accessible as possible.
I am therefore pleased to confirm today that from Monday, all mainland health boards will offer drop-in vaccination centres for all adults.
These centres will be able to provide first doses to anyone over the age of 18 who has not had a first dose yet. They will also be open for second doses to anyone who had their first dose 8 or more weeks ago, and has not yet had their second dose.
So if you haven’t had a first dose yet – or if you are now due for a second dose – from Monday, you’ll be able to visit a drop-in centre in order to get one. And let me stress, you can do this even if you have had a letter giving you an appointment, or if you have missed an appointment. If you’d rather turn up next week to drop in, you can do that even if you’ve had an appointment scheduled for a week or two from now.
Two health boards – Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Lothian – will also be providing mobile vaccination units as drop-in centres in some areas, and that is about helping, effectively, to take vaccine to people where we perhaps think there has been particular challenges with uptake.
Information about the drop-in vaccination centres in your health board area, will be available online, so I would encourage you to check this out over the weekend. You can also find out more through the NHS Inform website, or by following your health board area on social media.
Appointments of course will still be scheduled, so if it does suit you better to wait for a scheduled appointment, and you find that more convenient, that is fine.
Everyone in Scotland who is over 18 should now have received an appointment date for a first jag. If you haven’t, then you can turn up at a drop-in clinic – but you can also self-register on the NHS Inform site and get an appointment scheduled.
You can also use the NHS Inform website to rearrange the time or location of your appointment if you need to.
Basically, what we are trying to do is make it as easy and as accessible for as many as possible, so you can turn up from next week to a drop-in centre, you can keep your scheduled appointment, you can rearrange your scheduled appointment. Any of these ways is going to be possible because we want as many people getting these jags as possible.
The importance our vaccination programme is especially evident now. We are continuing to deal with a surge in new cases, heavily driven by the dominance of the Delta variant of the virus.
Vaccination is the reason that surge in cases has not led to the re-imposition of a strict lockdown – as it would have done at any earlier stage in the pandemic.
But now, the vaccines are doing much of the work that lockdown measures previously had to do.
We’ve discussed quite a lot recently the fact that vaccination is weakening the link between new cases, and serious health harms.
For example the proportion of people who get Covid, who now require hospital treatment, fell from around 13% in January, to 3% at the start of June. We continue to monitor that very closely.
All of that is positive.
But – and this is quite a significant but that I’m very deliberately injecting at this stage – all of us do still need to play a part, over and above getting vaccinated to make sure we get through this next period as safely as possible.
The rise in cases is a reminder that we still need to be cautious.
This variant of the virus is spreading quickly, and it is still potentially dangerous.
No vaccine is 100% effective. But these ones are very effective – after two doses. So even if you still get the virus, your chances of becoming very ill with it are much reduced.
That should give assurance to people – especially those who are older or living with other health conditions. I know many of you in particular will be worried right now as you see cases continuing to spike.
I want to assure you that we are not complacent about this. Our priority is to extend vaccine coverage as quickly as possible. That is our best line of protection.
But we are also encouraging renewed caution on behalf of the population while we do so.
Because our biggest vulnerability just now is that there are still, notwithstanding the success of the programme, a lot of people who do not yet have the protection of both doses.
That is why we are making it easier for people to get vaccinated. We are vaccinating as quickly as supplies – and also the clinical advice on timing of second doses – allows us to do.
While we do this, our collective priority must be to do all we can to slow the virus down. That really matters.
The fact is if cases continue to rise as they have been doing, then – despite the effectiveness of the vaccine – we will see pressure build on the NHS. And of course a lot of people being unwell.
Even if only 3% of cases need hospital care now – compared to 13% at the start of the year – on the case numbers we are seeing just now, that will still be a lot of people ending up in hospital.
We should also remember, many people who get Covid but don’t end up in hospital – including many younger people – could still suffer health harms such as long Covid.
I know everyone is tired of hearing this, but I must say again as we do see, we hope, the end point to restrictions in sight, for now we must be careful, especially for these next few weeks while we continue to get the protection from vaccination extended as far as possible.
There are three key things in particular that we all need to do just now.
Firstly – as I have said, vaccination is what will get us out of this.
So make sure that you get vaccinated when you are invited to do so, or turn up next week to a drop-in clinic and get vaccinated then. Just to remind everybody, that applies to all adults who haven’t had a first dose yet. Even if you’ve missed an appointment, don’t worry about that, you can turn up and get your first dose now. And if you’ve had your first dose 8 weeks or more ago, you can turn up to get your second dose at one of these drop-in centres.
Vaccination is how we protect ourselves and it is how we get out of this, so please make sure you’re playing your part by getting both jags as soon as it is possible for you to do so.
Second, please use the opportunities to get tested regularly – this is especially important if you are planning to visit somewhere or visit somebody. Take a lateral flow test before you go just to give that added bit of reassurance.
Free lateral flow tests are available through the NHS inform website.
You can have them sent to you in the post. You can also now collect them from local and regional test sites, or from community pharmacies.
And of course if you test positive through one of these lateral flow devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – please make sure that you self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible. That’s vitally important.
And finally, continue to follow the key rules where you live and all the basic but really important public health advice – for example on physical distancing, hand-washing and face coverings.
Stay outdoors as much as you can if you’re meeting other people.
And if you are meeting people indoors, which in limited numbers is now allowed, please stick to the limits on group sizes, and open the windows. Make sure you’re washing your hands and surfaces, and keeping the room as ventilated as possible.
That still applies, of course, if you are watching the football or the tennis.
If you’re planning to watch the quarter finals of the Euros this weekend, please remember the indoor gathering limits and remember all of the advice that helps keep that environment as risk free as it’s possible to do.
So these are the things that we need to continue to observe right now.
Get vaccinated, get tested and follow the guidance, and where applicable follow the rules.
We are all utterly sick of this. I do believe, just as I have said up until now, that we are seeing the end in sight. But whether we get to that end point, though vaccination, safely or whether we get to it with lots of pressure on our NHS, lots more people getting this virus, comes down to how all of us behave and how successful we are in slowing down the virus while the vaccines get ahead and ultimately win the race for us.
So thank you very much for your continued patience, thank you for your continued observance of all of this, and please for these next few weeks let’s all stick with it to get us through this.
