The UK has “more than enough” doses of Pfizer and Moderna jabs for under-30s, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told Sky News. Yesterday it was announced that Britons aged 18-29 would be given an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine where possible, due to concerns over a possible link between the jab and rare blood clots.
UK
Britons aged 18-29 will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine where available, government advisors have decided. Currently, the UK is also rolling out the Pfizer jab, and the first doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered today in Wales. The decision from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation follows a review of
The Moderna vaccine is going to be given to patients in the UK for the first time today. First doses of the jab are going to be administered at West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen – and a total of 5,000 doses have been distributed to vaccination centres. Moderna’s vaccine is the third to be
A trial of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine on children in the UK has been paused while the medicines regulator investigates a possible link between the jab and rare blood clots in adults. A University of Oxford spokesperson stressed that there were “no safety concerns” with this specific study, but that further information was being awaited
Looking at the use of domestic COVID passports for people attending pubs and restaurants is “only the right thing to do”, the vaccines minister has told Sky News. Nadhim Zahawi admitted that requiring people to show certification before entering some venues “does throw up a number of difficult, ethical questions”. But he stressed the government
Free, rapid twice-weekly COVID-19 testing for everyone in England is being promised by the government – starting this Friday. It is aimed at people without symptoms, because one in three people with coronavirus don’t have them and may be spreading the virus unwittingly. The government says the offer is currently for England only and the
A new breast cancer jab that will take just five minutes to administer will not only cut down on hospital staff time – but also reduce the COVID infection risk for patients. The treatment, called Phesgo, is being rolled out across England by the NHS and will be offered to breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Boris Johnson is poised to announce some Easter Monday good news, with home and away lockdown-easing moves as part of his COVID roadmap to freedom. At home, he is launching nine “vaccine passport” pilots from mid-April, including three football showpieces at Wembley, and four night-time entertainment trials in Liverpool. And away, he is preparing for
The UK has reported its lowest number of COVID deaths since mid-September, while more than five million people have now had both doses of a vaccine. The landmark vaccination count was passed as a further 3,423 infections were reported in the latest 24-hour period. Another 10 deaths have been recorded within 28 days of a
Seven people have died from blood clots after taking the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in the UK. The UK medicines regulator confirmed that of the 18.1 million people given the Oxford jab, 30 had gone on to have blood clots – and as of 24 March, seven of those had died. The Medicines and Healthcare Products
The prime minister has warned people not to meet others from different households indoors over Easter, even if they have had a coronavirus vaccine. Boris Johnson made the call in a video posted on his official Twitter account, asking questions sent in to the government about his roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions. Live COVID updates
Police searching for missing student Richard Okorogheye, who went missing two weeks ago, say they have found a man’s body in a pond in Epping Forest, Essex. The 19-year-old left his family home in Ladbroke Grove, west London, on the evening of Monday 22 March, boarded a bus, and later took a 20-mile taxi ride
Holiday destinations will be ranked under a “traffic light system”, with fewer restrictions for places with low coronavirus rates and high vaccination take-up, according to reports. Countries will be graded either green, amber or red, according to how well they are coping with the pandemic, under a government plan for resuming foreign travel, it has
The UK has recorded 51 more coronavirus-related deaths and 4,479 new cases in the latest 24-hour period. The figures compare with 43 fatalities and 4,052 infections announced by the government yesterday. Last Thursday, 63 deaths were reported along with 6,397 cases. A total of 126,764 people have died in the UK within 28 days of
Under the new government guidance, Chloe Ball-Hopkins will no longer have to shield from coronavirus. Chloe was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at a young age which means her muscles are weak and damaged. She has spent the last year shielding with her grandparents and for her “it’s been one big long lockdown”. Image: Chloe has
Lockdown restrictions in Wales will ease on 12 April to allow travel between the country and the rest of the UK. First Minister Mark Drakeford will confirm the measures at a briefing tomorrow, including the goal of fully entering Alert Level 3 by 17 May. He will warn, however, that the next steps on Wales’