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 [...]
Hospitality industry slams vaccine passports as ‘Hobson’s choice’ April 6, 2021 The hospitality industry has slammed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s suggestion that vaccine passports are on the horizon as a “Hobson’s choice” that will severely restrict businesses within the sector. Announcing the next stages of lifting lockdown yesterday, Johnson said vaccine certifications were a “sensible” principle for reopening the economy. Government documents released last night revealed the [...]
Nadhim Zahawi refuses to rule out vaccine passports for pubs later in the year April 6, 2021 The vaccines deployment minister has refused to rule out introducing Covid jab certifications for indoor pints later in the year, despite admitting they raise “difficult ethical problems”. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Nadhim Zahawi insisted that there would be no vaccine passport requirements when pubs reopen their doors for outdoor service on Monday. [...]
World’s first 20-second Covid test centre opens in the City April 6, 2021 The world’s first 20-second Covid test centre has opened in the City today as employers begin luring workers back to the office after months of home working. Instant Covid Tests London (ICTL), which opened its doors this morning at The Brewery events space in the City of London, users holographic imaging and AI to deliver [...]