This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59776415

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Covid: Booster rollout to continue on Christmas Day Covid: Glimmer of Christmas hope on Omicron, says Jenny Harries
(about 2 hours later)
People in England will be able to get a Covid booster jab on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as part of efforts to target the Omicron variant, the NHS has said. UK Health Security Agency findings that Omicron may be less likely to result in serious illness than Delta offer a "glimmer of Christmas hope", its chief executive has told the BBC.
Vaccinations will also take place on Christmas Eve, with about 200,000 first, second or booster appointments still bookable over the festive period. But Jenny Harries added it was too early to retract her statement that the variant was the most serious threat the UK had faced during the pandemic.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid thanked NHS staff and volunteers who were giving up time with family and friends. The UKHSA's findings are "preliminary", she said, and data around Omicron's impact on the elderly is still needed.
Officials will also be working to fix supply chain delays with home tests. Meanwhile, UK cases continue to surge.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was sending a record number of rapid lateral flow tests to people's homes every day but acknowledged there was an issue with deliveries to some pharmacies. A record 119,789 new infections were reported on Thursday.
How can I get my booster jab? Responding to UKHSA analysis that those cases with Omicron - now the UK's dominant strain - are less likely to need hospital care, Dr Harries told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is a glimmer of Christmas hope... but it definitely isn't yet at the point where we could downgrade that serious threat.
"What we have got now is a really fine balance between something that looks like a lower risk of hospitalisation - which is great news - but equally a highly transmissible variant and one that we know evades some of our immune defences, so it is a very balanced position."
Omicron: Good news, bad news and what it all means
How many people can get together at Christmas?How many people can get together at Christmas?
When should I take a Covid test now?When should I take a Covid test now?
NHS England said its "jingle jab" campaign will see Covid vaccines administered at local sites such as town halls and pharmacies over the Christmas weekend. The UKHSA estimates that someone with Omicron is between 31% and 45% less likely to attend A&E and 50% to 70% less likely to be admitted to hospital than an individual with the Delta variant.
It advised people to book an appointment in advance but said they would be able to turn up at centres in some areas, including Eastbourne, Hartlepool, Croydon and Dewsbury. However, Dr Harries warned there was much that is still unknown about Omicron.
Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS Covid vaccination programme, said she would "encourage anyone not already boosted to come forward, book an appointment and get the gift of a jab". "We don't yet know what the average length of stay for an individual is in a hospital," she said.
She said: "We've seen record after record broken in the run-up to the festive season and I want to thank every NHS staff member and volunteer whose goodwill and determination to protect their communities will keep the booster rollout going this Christmas weekend." "We're not seeing very significant rises in intensive care utilisation or in the use of ventilation beds. Now that may be because a lot of the people who've been infected to date are actually younger people and we will see that coming through."
The UK set another daily Covid record on Thursday with 119,789 confirmed cases. There were a further 147 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. But if the severity of the disease is actually "significantly lower than Delta" then some of the impact on the NHS may be less severe, she added.
It has also been a record-breaking week for booster and third jabs in the UK, with more than 968,665 administered on Wednesday, the highest number to date. Omicron: What we know so far
Prof Clare Bryant - a professor of immunology at the University of Cambridge - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that additional booster shots in the form of a fourth dose would be needed at some point, but exactly when was not yet clear. This variant is very contagious - it spreads faster than others and can infect people even if they are fully vaccinated
Vaccines and boosters are still essential - they do a great job at protecting against severe disease that could put you in hospital
It is milder - if you catch it the risk of needing hospital treatment is up to 70% lower than with previous Covid variants - but that is largely because many of us have built up immunity from vaccines and past infections rather than changes to the virus
Even if Omicron is milder, because it is more contagious a large number of people will catch it and will still become very ill which puts pressure on the NHS
Read more
The UKHSA analysis, along with the data gathered around Omicron on a daily basis, will influence the UK government's decision regarding whether or not further restrictions are needed in England.
At present, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stuck to his Plan B measures - face masks, Covid passes and working from home guidance - and says no new measures will be announced before Christmas.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all announced further measures to come in from Sunday.
Asked whether ministers had enough data to make a call on new measures, Dr Harries said the government would consider more than just hospital admissions and cases.
"For example, we have very high rates of individuals off sick - we know that particularly in London, around one in 35 have currently got Omicron," she said.
"Now that's having an impact on the workforce. So these are not simply about hospitalisation rates."
She added that ministers are being kept updated on a daily basis and that will continue throughout the Christmas period.
"I don't think we do know yet that this is going to be a significantly less serious disease for the population - the older population - that we are normally most concerned about in relation to serious disease and death."
Dr Harries' comments come amid the ongoing push for UK government to offer every adult a booster vaccine dose by the end of the month.
People in England will be able to get a jab on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as part of efforts to target the Omicron variant, the NHS has said.
Vaccinations will also take place on Christmas Eve, with about 200,000 first, second or booster appointments still bookable over the festive period.
It has been a record-breaking week for booster and third jabs in the UK, with more than 968,665 administered on Wednesday, the highest number to date.
Prof Clare Bryant - a professor of immunology at the University of Cambridge - told the Today programme that additional booster shots in the form of a fourth dose would be needed at some point, but exactly when was not yet clear.
"We are looking at fourth shots," she said."We are looking at fourth shots," she said.
"I suspect it's a question of when those will need to be introduced because of course a waning in immunity means that you may catch the virus a little bit more easily but don't forget you're still very well protected against severe disease and that's absolutely critical." "I suspect it's a question of when those will need to be introduced because of course a waning in immunity means that you may catch the virus a little bit more easily - but don't forget you're still very well protected against severe disease and that's absolutely critical."
Analysis released by the UKHSA on Friday backed other recent studies suggesting people catching Omicron are less likely to need hospital care compared with previous variants. Officials will also be working to fix supply chain delays with home tests over the festive period.
But the agency said the variant could still lead to large numbers of people in hospital because it spreads so fast. The UKHSA said it was sending a record number of rapid lateral flow tests to people's homes every day but acknowledged there was an issue with deliveries to some pharmacies.
The health secretary said the early data from the UKHSA analysis on Omicron was promising.
But Mr Javid warned: "Cases of the variant continue to rise at an extraordinary rate - already surpassing the record daily number in the pandemic. Hospital admissions are increasing, and we cannot risk the NHS being overwhelmed... It is still too early to determine next steps."
The government has announced it will not be introducing any new restrictions in England before Christmas but measures could still be introduced if case numbers continue to grow.
However, tougher Covid restrictions are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 26 December.
Meanwhile, there continue to be reports of pharmacies running out of lateral flow tests.
Under the government's Plan B measures for England brought in to deal with the Omicron variant, fully vaccinated people who are close contacts of Covid cases have been told to take the tests - which are available free from pharmacies or via online order - daily for seven days.
Ministers have also been encouraging people to use the tests before they socialise or go to work, with the prime minister on Tuesday saying tests should be taken before they visit elderly or vulnerable relatives at Christmas.Ministers have also been encouraging people to use the tests before they socialise or go to work, with the prime minister on Tuesday saying tests should be taken before they visit elderly or vulnerable relatives at Christmas.
The UKHSA said pharmacies were continuing to receive lateral flow tests and any delays in deliveries were a "supply chain issue and not a stock issue".The UKHSA said pharmacies were continuing to receive lateral flow tests and any delays in deliveries were a "supply chain issue and not a stock issue".
A spokesperson said: "Despite unprecedented demand, we are continuing to supply millions of rapid lateral flow tests every day.A spokesperson said: "Despite unprecedented demand, we are continuing to supply millions of rapid lateral flow tests every day.
"We are issuing record numbers of rapid test kits to people's homes across the country, and our delivery capacity has doubled to 900,000 test kits per day since Saturday... so more people can order tests.""We are issuing record numbers of rapid test kits to people's homes across the country, and our delivery capacity has doubled to 900,000 test kits per day since Saturday... so more people can order tests."
THE HAIRY BIKERS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Si and Dave ride north to create the perfect festive feastTHE HAIRY BIKERS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Si and Dave ride north to create the perfect festive feast
FROM SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING TO FROZEN: There's a film for everyone on BBC iPlayerFROM SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING TO FROZEN: There's a film for everyone on BBC iPlayer