Sporting bodies back vaccine passports and Covid tests for return of live events April 9, 2021 The UK’s leading sports bodies have backed the use of vaccine passports and Covid testing as a “credible” means of returning punters to stadiums this summer. In a joint letter to the leaders of the major political parties, the group said it could “see the benefit” of rolling out Covid certifications and rapid testing “in [...]
UK to achieve herd immunity by Monday, modelling shows April 8, 2021 Britain is on track to achieve herd immunity against coronavirus on Monday, according to the latest modelling by University College London (UCL). The UCL research, seen by The Telegraph, estimates that almost three-quarters of people in the UK will have immunity from the virus either through vaccination or previous infection by 12 April. The Scientific Advisory Groups [...]
London reports zero Covid deaths as cases slump to September levels April 8, 2021 London recorded zero Covid-related deaths yesterday for the third time this year, as infections slumped to levels not seen since September. The daily death toll has previously fallen to nil on 28 March and 27 February, with cases continuing to decline across the bulk of boroughs. Just 317 coronavirus infections were reported in the capital [...]
UK’s vaccine programme ‘breaking link’ between Covid infections and death April 8, 2021 The UK’s vaccination programme is beginning to break the link between Covid-19 infections and deaths, scientists studying the epidemic have said. The latest REACT study by Imperial College London of more than 140,000 people in England shoed infections have fallen roughly two-thirds since February. Data showed that around 0.2 per cent of England’s population had [...]
Oxford scientist set for £15m payday in Vaccitech flotation April 8, 2021 Professor Sarah Gilbert, the Oxford scientist behind Astrazeneca’s coronavirus jab, is set to land a payday of as much as $20m (£15m) as her vaccine start-up prepares for its stock market debut. Gilbert is understood to be sitting on millions of dollars worth of shares in biotech firm Vaccitech, which is expected to list in [...]
UK regulator recommends alternative to Astrazeneca vaccine for under-30s April 7, 2021 Under-30s in the UK will be offered an alternative to the Astrazeneca Covid vaccine following mounting evidence leading it to rare blood clots, Britain’s medicines regulator has ruled. A review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found that by the end of March, 79 people in the UK had suffered rare blood [...]
EU medicines regulator finds ‘possible link’ between Astrazeneca vaccine and very rare blood clots April 7, 2021 The EU’s medicines regulator has found a “possible link” between the Astrazeneca vaccine and rare blood clots, but said the benefits of receiving the vaccine outweigh potential risks. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) this afternoon published its review into the vaccine, which found that “unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as [...]
Big Pharma: How much will companies make off their Covid vaccines this year? April 7, 2021 There’s money to be made in vaccines. Before the pandemic, US pharmaceutical firm Moderna had never made a profit and employed just 830 staff. This morning, its $30-a-dose Covid vaccine was administered to the first patient in the UK, after widespread distribution across the States. On the same day, Stéphane Bancel, the French chief executive [...]
UK begins rollout of Moderna’s Covid vaccine April 7, 2021 The Moderna vaccine has become the third Covid jab to join the UK’s jab portfolio, with the first doses being given to carers in Wales today. The vaccine received emergency approval from the UK’s medicines regulator in January, when it was deemed safe and effective. Supplies arrived in Wales this morning, with 5,000 doses sent [...]
One in three Covid survivors diagnosed with mental condition within six months of infection April 7, 2021 One in three people who suffered severe illness from coronavirus have been diagnosed with a neurological or psychological condition within six months of recovering, a study has found. Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at the electronic 2020 health records of more than 230,000 Covid-19 patients, with their results published in The Lancet Psychiatry [...]
