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| UK to vaccinate over-25s, but health secretary warns Indian Covid-19 variant creating ‘tighter’ race with virus | UK to vaccinate over-25s, but health secretary warns Indian Covid-19 variant creating ‘tighter’ race with virus |
| (3 months later) | |
| The UK is set to start vaccinating people aged 25-29 against Covid-19 from Tuesday, bringing the government closer to its target of offering the jab to all adults by August, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. | The UK is set to start vaccinating people aged 25-29 against Covid-19 from Tuesday, bringing the government closer to its target of offering the jab to all adults by August, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. |
| Announcing the progress on vaccinations in Parliament on Monday, Hancock told MPs that there should still be “no room for complacency” due to the threat posed by the so-called ‘Delta’ strain of the virus. | Announcing the progress on vaccinations in Parliament on Monday, Hancock told MPs that there should still be “no room for complacency” due to the threat posed by the so-called ‘Delta’ strain of the virus. |
| “The Delta variant first identified in India has made the race between the virus and this vaccination effort tighter,” Hancock said. | “The Delta variant first identified in India has made the race between the virus and this vaccination effort tighter,” Hancock said. |
| The size of Delta’s “growth advantage” is unclear, he said but scientists now estimate it is 40% more transmissible than the UK’s previously dominant ‘Kent’ variant – now known as Alpha. | The size of Delta’s “growth advantage” is unclear, he said but scientists now estimate it is 40% more transmissible than the UK’s previously dominant ‘Kent’ variant – now known as Alpha. |
| The Delta variant now makes up the “vast majority” of all new infections in the UK, Hancock added. | The Delta variant now makes up the “vast majority” of all new infections in the UK, Hancock added. |
| Just 10 days ago the health secretary said Delta accounted for between 50% and 75% of new cases. On June 3, Public Health England said the number of Delta cases in the UK had shot up by 5,472 since the previous week to 12,431. | Just 10 days ago the health secretary said Delta accounted for between 50% and 75% of new cases. On June 3, Public Health England said the number of Delta cases in the UK had shot up by 5,472 since the previous week to 12,431. |
| Hancock said the government’s vaccine rollout is helping keep the rate of serious illness due to the Delta variant down, with hospitalisations still “broadly flat.” | Hancock said the government’s vaccine rollout is helping keep the rate of serious illness due to the Delta variant down, with hospitalisations still “broadly flat.” |
| Most of those admitted to hospital haven’t been vaccinated at all and only around 1% of those infected with the Delta variant have been hospitalised, he said. | Most of those admitted to hospital haven’t been vaccinated at all and only around 1% of those infected with the Delta variant have been hospitalised, he said. |
| The increased transmission of Delta and other new Covid-19 variants was also raised by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a regular news briefing on Monday. | The increased transmission of Delta and other new Covid-19 variants was also raised by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a regular news briefing on Monday. |
| He spoke about variants in the context of countries with higher vaccination rates lifting restrictions, while many states with higher infection rates “still face an extremely dangerous situation.” | He spoke about variants in the context of countries with higher vaccination rates lifting restrictions, while many states with higher infection rates “still face an extremely dangerous situation.” |
| “Lifting restrictions too quickly could be disastrous for those who are not vaccinated,” the WHO chief said. | “Lifting restrictions too quickly could be disastrous for those who are not vaccinated,” the WHO chief said. |
| He also reiterated his calls for the issue of vaccine inequity to be addressed, with six months now having passed since the first Covid-19 jabs were administered. High-income countries have given out 44% of the world’s doses, compared to just 0.4% in low-income countries, Ghebreyesus said. | He also reiterated his calls for the issue of vaccine inequity to be addressed, with six months now having passed since the first Covid-19 jabs were administered. High-income countries have given out 44% of the world’s doses, compared to just 0.4% in low-income countries, Ghebreyesus said. |
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