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UK Covid live: Sajid Javid sets out autumn and winter coronavirus plan UK Covid live: Javid unveils winter contingency ‘plan B’ - including vaccine passports and compulsory masks
(32 minutes later)
Latest updates: follow all the UK politics news and developmentsLatest updates: follow all the UK politics news and developments
This is what Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said in his opening statement about the government’s plan B.
The PA Media gallery report says what it describes as “a howl of anguish” was heard from the Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne as Javid read out this passage. Swayne is one of the Conservatives most opposed to lockdown measures.
This is from the Labour MP Sarah Owen, pointing out the refusal of most Tory MPs in the chamber to wear masks.
The Welsh government has confirmed that children aged 12 to 15 in Wales will be offered a Covid vaccination and booster jabs will begin to be rolled out to the most at-risk people.
Speaking at a press conference in Cardiff, the Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan said:
Morgan said the government was “particularly worried” about pregnant women who haven’t been vaccinated and urged them to speak to their midwife about having the vaccine.
Morgan said jabs would be offered to 12-15-year-olds at mass vaccination centres and at schools. It would be up to local authorities and health boards to decide the best way in their areas.
She said if there was disagreement between children and parents over whether to have the jab, the Gillick test of competence (which is designed to help professionals decide a child’s capacity) would be applied. “There is a clear process.” She said “child-friendly” information about the pros and cons of the vaccination would be handed out and added: “This is not a compulsory vaccination.”
Morgan also said she was frustrated that the advice over the booster campaign had not come sooner. “We have been ready to roll for a number of weeks.” Morgan said the booster campaign would be rolled out where possible alongside a flu vaccination campaign.
The government has now published its 30-page autumn and winter Covid plan. It’s here (pdf).
Javid is responding to Ashworth.
He says it is right to have a contingency plan. If pressure on the NHS became unsustainable, the government would move to plan B.
He stresses the importance of vaccination. He says 99% of people who died from Covid in the first half of this year were not vaccinated.
He says the flu vaccine will have less efficacy than usual this year (because there was less flu around last year, making it harder to develop an effective vaccine). But he says it is still an effective vaccine.
He says he has made it clear that the government is not going ahead with vaccine passports. That would be a big decision, and it would have to be justified by data. That government is not going ahead with that. But it will be kept in reserve as an option, he says.
Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, is responding. He asks a series of questions, including:
What level of infection or hospitalisation would trigger plan B?
What will the government do to get more young people vaccinated?
Will the flu vaccine cope with this year’s strain?
What is the government’s policy on vaccine passports?
Javid says this is plan A.
But there is also a plan B, he says, in cases the situation deteriorates.
He says plan B would involve:
Communicating to the public urgently “the need for caution”
Making face masks compulsory in some settings
Requiring vaccine passports in some settings
Asking people to work from home.
Javid says some aspects of the Coronavirus Act will also be repealed.
Javid says the fourth pillar will involve steps to keep seasonal illnesses at bay. That involves encouraging people to meet outdoors where possible and to wear masks in crowded spaces.
He says the fifth pillar involves maintaining border controls. And new rules for foreign travel will be announced by Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, before 1 October, he says.
Javid says the third pillar of the strategy involves help for the NHS. The government is putting an extra £5.4bn into the NHS in England for the next six months. And the government is consulting on requiring frontline health workers to be vaccinated. He says it is “highly likely” that the government will make this a requirement.
Javid says the government’s winter plan also includes continued reliance on testing, tracing and self-isolation.
Assistance will remain available for people who need to isolate.
Javid says the vaccine programme is also being extended to cover 12 to 15-year-olds. The government will move “with urgency” to implement this.
Javid says the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths has “weakened significantly” since the start of the pandemic.Javid says the link between cases, hospitalisations and deaths has “weakened significantly” since the start of the pandemic.
He says there are five pillars to the winter plan.He says there are five pillars to the winter plan.
First, the government will strengthen its “pharmaceutical defences” by doing more to get people vaccinated. It will renew efforts to get people vaccinated.First, the government will strengthen its “pharmaceutical defences” by doing more to get people vaccinated. It will renew efforts to get people vaccinated.
Second, it will launch a vaccine booster vaccine programme. He summarises this morning’s advice from the JCVI, and he says he has accepted it. The NHS will offer booster doses from next week, he says. It will launch a vaccine booster vaccine programme. He summarises this morning’s advice from the JCVI, and he says he has accepted it. The NHS will offer booster doses from next week, he says.
Javid starts by offering his condolences to Boris Johnson following the death of his mother.Javid starts by offering his condolences to Boris Johnson following the death of his mother.
Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is about to make a statement to MPs about Covid. He is expected to confirm the plan for booster vaccine, and to give other details of the winter plan.Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is about to make a statement to MPs about Covid. He is expected to confirm the plan for booster vaccine, and to give other details of the winter plan.
Boris Johnson will be giving his press conference on the same topic at 3.30pm.Boris Johnson will be giving his press conference on the same topic at 3.30pm.
Here are the three slides presented at the start of the booster jabs briefing.Here are the three slides presented at the start of the booster jabs briefing.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said that this first slide only went up to September 2021 because data was not available to measure protection lasting beyond that point.Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said that this first slide only went up to September 2021 because data was not available to measure protection lasting beyond that point.
Q: If someone chooses not to get a booster vaccine, will you say they are not fully vaccinated? And does that mean they would not count as fully vaccinated in any Covid status scheme.Q: If someone chooses not to get a booster vaccine, will you say they are not fully vaccinated? And does that mean they would not count as fully vaccinated in any Covid status scheme.
Van-Tam says there has been no discussion about boosters in terms of Covid certification.Van-Tam says there has been no discussion about boosters in terms of Covid certification.
As a scientist, he would view someone as not having “optimal protection” if they had not had a booster, he says.As a scientist, he would view someone as not having “optimal protection” if they had not had a booster, he says.
But he says he cannot say what ministers might decide in terms of how this relates to Covid passports.But he says he cannot say what ministers might decide in terms of how this relates to Covid passports.
And that’s it. The briefing is over.And that’s it. The briefing is over.
Q: Are you worried about being sucked into a situation where you are always taking the precautionary approach and giving booster vaccines?Q: Are you worried about being sucked into a situation where you are always taking the precautionary approach and giving booster vaccines?
Lim says that is an important question. But over time they expect to get better data about how long vaccine effectiveness lasts, he says.Lim says that is an important question. But over time they expect to get better data about how long vaccine effectiveness lasts, he says.
He says it is also possible that the third dose will extend the time protection lasts.He says it is also possible that the third dose will extend the time protection lasts.
And they do not know how natural infection might top up the immunity offered by vaccines, he says.And they do not know how natural infection might top up the immunity offered by vaccines, he says.
Van-Tam says he agrees.Van-Tam says he agrees.
Today’s advice is for this winter only, he says. He says the government will keep asking the JCVI to come back to this until the Covid situation returns to normality.Today’s advice is for this winter only, he says. He says the government will keep asking the JCVI to come back to this until the Covid situation returns to normality.
Van-Tam says the protection offered by initial vaccines is more important than the protection offered by booster vaccines.Van-Tam says the protection offered by initial vaccines is more important than the protection offered by booster vaccines.
He says the vaccine offer is an evergreen one; people can still come forward.He says the vaccine offer is an evergreen one; people can still come forward.
Lim says, as a clinician, he sees people in hospital with Covid who have not been vaccinated. It is heartbreaking, he says.Lim says, as a clinician, he sees people in hospital with Covid who have not been vaccinated. It is heartbreaking, he says.
Q: Are you confident that supply of the flu and Covid vaccines won’t be affected by transport delays?
Van-Tam says there was an issue with the supply of flu vaccine from one manufacturer. But he says he has no concerns about the supply of Covid vaccines.
Q: Where will booster vaccines be delivered?
Van-Tam says this needs to start quickly. The NHS has been planning for this for months. He says they do not have ministerial approval yet. But once they do, he says he expects the NHS to be able to start “in a short number of days, not a short number of weeks”.
He says he would expect people to get booster vaccines either at mass vaccination centres or at GP surgeries.
Van-Tam says, if there is good uptake, the booster programme will make “a very substantial impact” in terms of allowing the government to “keep the lid on things” and to reduce pressure on the NHS.
Q: What do you say to scientists who say this booster campaign undermines global vaccine equity?
Van-Tam says as public health people they take a very strong view that the whole world should have access to vaccines. Until everyone is safe, nobody is safe.
But he says they also have to decide what is best for the UK.
Nine countries have said they are starting some form of booster campaign, and 18 others are considering it, he says.
So the UK is not alone, he says.
Q: The decrease in vaccine effectiveness seems really small. So why are you going ahead with this?
Lim says a drop in effectiveness from 90% to 80% may not seem like much, but it could lead to a doubling in the number of people being admitted to hospital.
If they can protect the NHS, they will save lives, he says.
Van-Tam says by January protection will have waned further. But they don’t know by how much.
The brief from ministers has been to do the most possible to prevent deaths and illness from Covid, he says.
He says if there is going to be a storm, it is better to make your tent secure in advance. It is better to be pre-emptive, and to prepare and plan for the worst eventualities.
UPDATE: Here is the quote in full.
They are now taking questions.
Q: What might happen in the future? Will AstraZeneca be used?
Lim says he cannot say. He would not want to exclude any option at this point.
Q: When will double jabs start, flu and Covid?
Van-Tam says double jabs can start now, provided the product is available.
He says the MHRA has said there is no problem with double jabs.
But it may not always be possible to co-administer both vaccines in patients.
Flu vaccines are administered quickly. But Covid jabs required a 15-minute waiting period. This means administering both at the same time might be difficult, he says.
In the future it is possible that one jab might be able to administer both vaccines, he says.
Van-Tam says today’s recommendation from the JCVI has to be approved by ministers.
But if ministers do agree, it will be “full speed ahead”, but in a “purposeful way”, he says.
Lim says today’s advice does not mean there will be a recurrent programme of booster vaccines every six months.
Further advice will be offered in the future when the country reaches a “steady state” with Covid infections, he says.
He says the advice also does not mean that everyone will need a booster dose. Younger people may not need one, he says.
And he says the booster programme does not mean that other vaccine programmes are not important. In particular, flu vaccines remain important, he says. He strongly urges people to get it.
If people have both vaccines on the same day, that will be safe, he says. Usually they would have the vaccines in different arms.
Lim says there is a preference for using mRNA vaccines - Pfizer or Moderna - for the booster vaccines.
He says an mRNA booster will give a very good response, regardless of what people had first.
He says the Pfizer vaccine is the preferred option because of its simplicity and because it is well tolerated.
But a half dose of Moderna could also be used, he says. That is because a half dose works very well, he says.
Lim says the data suggests there is a small decrease in vaccine effectiveness over time.
He says the most marked decrease in protection occurs in older people and in people with underlying health conditions.
He says the JCVI is advising that adults who are more vulnerable should be offered a booster vaccine.
These will be people who were covered by phase one of the vaccine programme - all adults over 50 and over, plus those with underlying health conditions that put them at risk, as well as health and social care workers.
He says boosters should be given no earlier than six months after the second dose.
And booster vaccines should be given in the same order as original doses, he says.
He says a longer interval to a third booster dose may be beneficial.
But they do not want to wait too long either, he says.
They are looking for a “sweet spot” - which is why they are saying not before six months after the second dose.