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Oxford-jab chief criticises UK's Covid booster plan | Oxford-jab chief criticises UK's Covid booster plan |
(32 minutes later) | |
All over-50s in the UK could be eligible for a third or booster dose of a Covid vaccine | All over-50s in the UK could be eligible for a third or booster dose of a Covid vaccine |
Health Secretary Sajid Javid says he has already put plans in place to give the most vulnerable groups a third or booster Covid jab early next month. | Health Secretary Sajid Javid says he has already put plans in place to give the most vulnerable groups a third or booster Covid jab early next month. |
But the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group said doses needed to "go where they can have the greatest impact" - to protect unvaccinated people abroad. | |
The UK itself currently had no reason to panic, Prof Sir Andrew Pollard said. | |
Mr Javid said he would wait for final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). | Mr Javid said he would wait for final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). |
"My plan is to offer the flu vaccine, especially to over-50s, at the same time," he said. | "My plan is to offer the flu vaccine, especially to over-50s, at the same time," he said. |
A bigger flu season than normal is expected, with scientists warning respiratory viruses will make a comeback this year after disappearing last year during lockdown. | A bigger flu season than normal is expected, with scientists warning respiratory viruses will make a comeback this year after disappearing last year during lockdown. |
NHS bosses had previously said they needed lots of warning of a Covid booster programme in order to plan the logistics of vaccinating millions of people against both viruses. | |
NHS plans winter Covid booster jab for over-50s | NHS plans winter Covid booster jab for over-50s |
Jabs for 16 and 17-year-olds to start within weeks | Jabs for 16 and 17-year-olds to start within weeks |
How many people have been vaccinated so far? | How many people have been vaccinated so far? |
However, Prof Pollard, who led the team that created the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, said decisions on whether to give boosters "should be scientifically driven". | However, Prof Pollard, who led the team that created the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, said decisions on whether to give boosters "should be scientifically driven". |
"The time we would need to boost is if we see evidence that there was an increase in hospitalisation - or the next stage after that, which would be people dying - amongst those who are vaccinated," he said. | "The time we would need to boost is if we see evidence that there was an increase in hospitalisation - or the next stage after that, which would be people dying - amongst those who are vaccinated," he said. |
"And that is not something we are seeing at the moment." | "And that is not something we are seeing at the moment." |
Prof Pollard told the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus that people's immune systems would remember "decades from now" they had received two doses of vaccine - and that would help protect them against Covid-19. | Prof Pollard told the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus that people's immune systems would remember "decades from now" they had received two doses of vaccine - and that would help protect them against Covid-19. |
"We are not seeing a problem with breakthrough severe disease and we have this understanding of the biology which puts us in a good place to know that even if we start to see some waning of protection, that would not be a complete switch-off of protection," he said. | "We are not seeing a problem with breakthrough severe disease and we have this understanding of the biology which puts us in a good place to know that even if we start to see some waning of protection, that would not be a complete switch-off of protection," he said. |
'Herd immunity not possible' | |
Prof Pollard also warned that herd immunity was "not a possibility" because the delta variant would continue to infect people who had been vaccinated. | |
Even if all children were vaccinated, that wouldn't stop transmission of the virus, he said. | |
Over time, there needed to be a move away from community testing of mild infections - which will boost people's immunity - to clinically-driven testing of people who become unwell, he added. | |
The focus should be on improving treatment for people who become seriously ill from Covid in hospital, Prof Pollard said. | |
OXFORD JAB: What is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine? | OXFORD JAB: What is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine? |
GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there? | GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there? |
EPIDEMIC v PANDEMIC: What's the difference? | EPIDEMIC v PANDEMIC: What's the difference? |
VACCINE: When will I get the jab? | VACCINE: When will I get the jab? |
NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be? | NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be? |
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