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Covid: What's the advice for pregnant women and those who haven't had the jab? Covid: When will teenagers get the jab and do I need a booster?
(6 days later)
Pregnant women are being urged to get vaccinated against Covid, after a rise in the number of mothers-to-be in hospital with the virus. The government has announced that the Covid vaccine will be offered to 16 and 17-year-olds.
Take-up for the vaccine has been very low among pregnant women. Health Secretary Sajid Javid says he has asked the NHS in England to start preparing "as soon as possible", and the government in Wales says it's now working on the arrangements needed.
Health professionals are now being asked to make them a particular focus of concern among adults who have not yet been jabbed. Who's being vaccinated at the moment?
What is the advice to pregnant women now? The JCVI - the scientific body advising the government on vaccines - says that the Covid vaccine should now be offered to everyone aged 16 and over.
Previously, pregnant women were offered a vaccine in line with other people their age and, because safety data on the vaccines in pregnancy was scarce, they weren't prioritised. The vaccine has already been approved for over-12s with underlying conditions or those who live with others at high risk, but there are no plans to give it routinely to 12-15-year-olds.
But fewer than one in 10 pregnant women in England has had one jab, leaving hundreds of thousands of women unprotected. An estimated 88% of adults in the UK have people have now had at least one Covid jab, but many people under 30 are yet to receive theirs.
The Delta variant is causing more serious illness from Covid which means unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies are at risk. An estimated third of 18-29-year-olds in England have still to receive a single jab. In Scotland, that figure is about 30%.
In the last three months alone, 171 pregnant women with Covid needed hospital care. Data has shown that none of them had had both jabs. In recent weeks, there's also been an appeal for more pregnant women to come forward for the vaccine, after reports than fewer than one in 10 in England has received their first jab.
More than 55,000 pregnant women across the UK have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with no safety concerns, says NHS England. How many people have been vaccinated so far?
Pregnant women jab plea as majority unvaccinated What do young people need to know about the vaccine?
How many under-30s are unvaccinated?
Which children will be vaccinated?
Children at higher risk from Covid and those within months of turning 18 will be offered the Pfizer vaccine in the UK.
The case for vaccinating children has been studied by the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
It recommends vaccinating children aged 12-15 if they are at higher risk due to:
Severe neurodisability (which could include conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism or epilepsy)
Down's syndrome
A severely weakened immune system, including some children with cancer
Profound and multiple learning difficulties
Those at higher risk who are already aged 16 or 17 can be vaccinated under existing rules.
The JCVI has also recommended immunising 12-17-year-olds who live with people who have a suppressed immune system, as a form of indirect protection.
Young people who are within three months of turning 18 will also be offered the jab.
Around 370,000 children will be eligible, but the vast majority of children in the UK, who are considered low risk, will not be offered the vaccine for now.
Which children are being vaccinated and why?Which children are being vaccinated and why?
Who is currently being vaccinated? How do I get a vaccine?
All over-18s in the UK can get a vaccine.
In England you can book a jab either online or by calling 119. You can also visit a walk-in clinic without an appointment. Check your local health providers and social media groups for detailsIn England you can book a jab either online or by calling 119. You can also visit a walk-in clinic without an appointment. Check your local health providers and social media groups for details
In Scotland, you can register to get the vaccine on the NHS inform website or by calling 0800 030 8013. Most health boards have drop-in vaccination clinicsIn Scotland, you can register to get the vaccine on the NHS inform website or by calling 0800 030 8013. Most health boards have drop-in vaccination clinics
In Wales, contact your local health board if you think you have been missedIn Wales, contact your local health board if you think you have been missed
In Northern Ireland, book online or call 0300 200 7813In Northern Ireland, book online or call 0300 200 7813
How many people have been vaccinated so far? How soon should I get my second jab?
How do I get my second jab? In England, the recommended gap between first and second jabs is between 8-12 weeks.
In England, the recommended gap between first and second jabs is eight weeks for those under 40. In Scotland the recommended gap is eight weeks between jabs.
A number of walk-in clinics offer second doses without appointment. In Northern Ireland, the interval is eight weeks.
In Scotland anyone whose second appointment is more than eight weeks after their first can rebook it via the NHS Inform website or by calling 0800 030 8013. In Wales, the government says you should be called in for your second dose "within 12 weeks" of the first.
In Northern Ireland, the interval between doses has been reduced from 10 to six weeks.
In Wales, the government says vaccination clinics "are accelerating second doses", and people will be contacted by their local health boards in due course.
What's the latest on booster jabs?What's the latest on booster jabs?
Millions of people most vulnerable to Covid-19 may be offered a third vaccination from September. Millions of people most vulnerable to Covid-19 may be offered a third vaccination - along with the annual flu jab - from September.
The JCVI has issued new guidance on who should get booster jabs, if data suggests they are needed. These include the over-70s, the clinically extremely vulnerable and frontline health and social care workers.
It says third jabs should be offered to prolong the benefits of the first and second injections. The JCVI says a third booster and flu jab should be offered to adults aged 50 and over, and people aged 16-49 years in an influenza or Covid-19 "at-risk group".
The JCVI will publish final plans before September, taking into account: Final plans will be announced by the JCVI before September.
the latest Covid situation Is vaccination compulsory?
data from re-vaccination trials Not for most people, although the government is urging everyone who can have the vaccine to get it.
how well the vaccines are working over time
emerging variants
Who might get a third jab first?
The JCVI says a booster vaccine and the annual flu jab should be offered as soon as possible from September to:
immuno-suppressed adults aged 16 and over
those living in residential care homes for older adults
all adults aged 70 or over
adults aged 16 and over considered clinically extremely vulnerable
frontline health and social care workers
The JCVI says the following groups should be offered a third booster with "equal emphasis" on giving the flu vaccine as well:
all adults aged 50 and over
all adults aged 16-49 years in an influenza or Covid-19 "at-risk group"
adult household contacts of immuno-suppressed individuals
Most younger adults will receive their second Covid-19 vaccine dose by late summer, so the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered by the JCVI at a later date.
Boosters should ensure protection built up in the population does not decline through the winter months - and that immunity is maximised to provide additional resilience against variants.
Is Covid vaccination compulsory?
For most people, getting vaccinated is not mandatory, although the government is urging everyone who can have the vaccine to get it.
Vaccinations will be compulsory for staff at care homes in England, and may be extended to include more NHS staff.Vaccinations will be compulsory for staff at care homes in England, and may be extended to include more NHS staff.
Some private companies have said their staff must be vaccinated, including the Bloomsbury publishing company, Pimlico Plumbers, and the airline Cathay Pacific. Some private companies have also said their staff must be vaccinated.
Adults who were fully vaccinated in the UK, and under-18s, no longer have to self-isolate after visiting amber-list countries (apart from France). From 2 August this will also apply to travellers who have been fully vaccinated in the EU and the US. Being fully vaccinated means that you no longer have to self-isolate after visiting most countries abroad (with the notable exception of France).
Over the coming weeks, fully vaccinated people in England, Scotland and Wales will no longer have to self-isolate if a contact tests positive for Covid (if they themselves can test negative).
By the end of September, full vaccination will also be a condition of entry for getting into nightclubs and some other venues in England.By the end of September, full vaccination will also be a condition of entry for getting into nightclubs and some other venues in England.
I'm fully vaccinated, but how can I prove it?I'm fully vaccinated, but how can I prove it?
What vaccine will I get?What vaccine will I get?
The UK is using vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNtech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Moderna.The UK is using vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNtech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Moderna.
People under 40 are being offered Pfizer or Moderna rather than Oxford-AstraZeneca because of concerns about a possible connection with extremely rare cases of blood clots.People under 40 are being offered Pfizer or Moderna rather than Oxford-AstraZeneca because of concerns about a possible connection with extremely rare cases of blood clots.
But the UK's medicines regulator says the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for most people.But the UK's medicines regulator says the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for most people.
A single-dose Covid vaccine made by Janssen has also been approved for use in the UK by the medicines regulator. Twenty million doses are due to arrive later this year.
I’m 25 - is it safe for me to get the vaccine?
Is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe?Is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe?
Rare blood clots - what you need to knowRare blood clots - what you need to know
Do vaccines work against the Delta variant? Do vaccines work against different variants?
The Delta variant is believed to be around 60% more infectious than the previous dominant variant in the UK, the Alpha. It's also thought to be twice as likely to result in hospital admissions. The most common type of Covid currently in the UK is what's known as the Delta variant.
This is believed to be about 60% more infectious than the previous dominant variant in the UK, the Alpha. It's also thought to be twice as likely to result in hospital admissions.
However, analysis by Public Health England (PHE) shows that two doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine are highly effective at preventing hospital admissions for infected patients.However, analysis by Public Health England (PHE) shows that two doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine are highly effective at preventing hospital admissions for infected patients.
Vaccine developers are able to update their jabs to target new variants. Oxford researchers have begun to test a new version of the AZ vaccine (targeting the Beta variant first detected in South Africa) in volunteers. Results are expected later this year. Scientists are constantly updating vaccines to target new variants. Oxford researchers have begun to test a new version of the AZ vaccine (targeting the Beta variant first detected in South Africa) in volunteers. Results are expected later this year.
Why has the Delta variant spread so quickly in UK?Why has the Delta variant spread so quickly in UK?
How worrying are the new Covid variants?How worrying are the new Covid variants?
Can you mix and match different vaccines? What is the advice to pregnant women now?
At present, official guidance says everyone should get the same vaccine for both doses. But in rare circumstances - if only one vaccine is available, or it's not known which was given for the first dose - a different vaccine can be used. England's chief midwife recently urged pregnant women to get the vaccine.
If you have already had a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, you should also have a second dose. Only those who suffered a rare blood clot should not, the regulator says. The Delta variant is causing more serious illness from Covid which means unvaccinated pregnant women and their babies are at risk.
Mixing Covid vaccines 'gives good protection' In the last three months alone, 171 pregnant women with Covid needed hospital care. Data has shown that none of them had had both jabs.
How many vaccine doses are there? More than 55,000 pregnant women across the UK have received at least one dose of the vaccine, with no safety concerns, says NHS England.
The UK has ordered eight vaccines and expects to receive 517 million doses. Pregnant women jab plea as majority unvaccinated
These include another 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine (on top of the original order of 40 million) to be used as part of a booster programme in the autumn.
Vaccines supplied by CureVac will be designed to protect against the most concerning new variants.
What about people with allergies?What about people with allergies?
A very small number of people have experienced a severe allergic reaction - known as anaphylaxis - after the Pfizer vaccine. A very small number of people have experienced a severe allergic reaction after the Pfizer vaccine.
You should discuss any serious allergies with your healthcare professional before being vaccinated.You should discuss any serious allergies with your healthcare professional before being vaccinated.
Most people will not be affected in any way, although side-effects with all vaccines are possible.Most people will not be affected in any way, although side-effects with all vaccines are possible.
The most common ones include a sore arm, headache, chills, fatigue and nausea.The most common ones include a sore arm, headache, chills, fatigue and nausea.
They are part of the body's normal immune response to vaccines and tend to resolve within a day or two.They are part of the body's normal immune response to vaccines and tend to resolve within a day or two.
Sore arm is most common Covid vaccine side effectSore arm is most common Covid vaccine side effect
Study reveals extent of Covid vaccine side-effectsStudy reveals extent of Covid vaccine side-effects
Why it is normal for some people to experience short-term side effects from Covid-19 vaccinesWhy it is normal for some people to experience short-term side effects from Covid-19 vaccines