Health

Those administering coronavirus vaccines are allegedly being told to throw away stock due to a drop in younger people opting to get their first jab, reports suggest.Attempts to use surplus vaccines on people awaiting their second jab are also being thwarted due to strict guidance set out by the government, which states jabs must be given at last eight weeks apart, an anonymous source told the Daily Telegraph.“For the last two weeks we have literally been throwing the vaccine into the bin,” the vaccinator, from the northeast of England, said. They added that most people who want their first dose have already come forward but “hesitancy” is stopping more people from coming forward. More than 87 per cent of the population have received their first vaccination, but that falls significantly to just below 60 per cent for 18- to 25-year-olds. “Some aren’t turning up because they’ve had a vaccine elsewhere,” the source claimed, while criticising the wasteful attitude of throwing the medicine away.“It is a shame because poorer countries are desperate for vaccines,” they said.The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) currently recommends an interval of eight to 12 weeks between Covid-19 vaccine doses, on the back of studies suggesting it offers greater immunity.Scientists this week described the eight-week interval as a “sweet spot” for those getting the Pfizer jab, after research showed the wait time generates more neutralising antibodies and “helper” T cells against Delta and other variants of concern than a three-week schedule.Vaccinators have been told to follow the guidance strictly, which sometimes means throwing vaccine away instead of giving it to people earlier, the unnamed source said.It is not the first time such claims have been made. Back in February, GP magazine Pulse revealed that in an email, the British Medical Association (BMA) said it was continuing to hear reports of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) “demanding that vaccines are thrown away” rather than being given as second doses or to “other cohorts”.Despite there being the same ban then on shortening the gap between first and second doses as it is now, the BMA reminded GPs they could carry out measures such as offering initial jabs outside the first four priority cohorts if there is a “risk” of vaccine wastage.In the email, sent to GP practices across the country, the BMA said: “We would like to reiterate that NHSE/I has made it clear that the top priority is that all vaccines be used and therefore must not be deliberately wasted.“All sites should have reserve lists that they can use to make every effort to invite patients or healthcare professionals to ensure that they can make full use of any unused vaccines rather than have any go to waste.”Some medical professionals are now calling for the gap between doses to be reduced to as low as four weeks to avoid vaccine waste. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said cutting the interval for Pfizer and Moderna for younger people could even be beneficial. “If we are giving younger people that extra immunity earlier on, that might actually help slow the rate [of infection] or even reverse it in cases,” he told the Telegraph. Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, this week stood by the government’s decision to stick to the eight-week gap as advised by the JCVI. “As we raced to offer a vaccine to all adults, we took the JCVI’s advice to shorten the dosing interval from 12 to eight weeks to help protect more people against the Delta variant,” he said. “I urge every adult to get both doses of the vaccine to protect yourself and those around you and we are looking to offer millions of the most vulnerable a booster jab from September to ensure this protection is maintained.”The Independent has been in touch with the Department of Health and Social Care for comment. More

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that England will formally emerge from lockdown on 19 July as the final social restrictions imposed on the public to thwart the coronavirus are removed, despite his own admission that cases of Covid-19 are rising “significantly”.Speaking at Downing Street on Monday evening, Mr Johnson conceded that, “We’ve come to a stage in the pandemic when there is no easy answer or obvious date for unlocking,” observing that infections are rising at a rate of 30,000 a day and acknowledging that the Delta variant is now running rampant across Europe.“We think now is the right moment to proceed, when we have the natural firebreak of the school holidays in the next few days,” he explained, arguing that it is safer to unlock now than in September when the colder weather is beginning to dawn and flu season approaching while conceding that “more hospitalisations and more deaths” are likely to occur.The prime minister was careful to couch his remarks by warning the public that the arrival of “Freedom Day” next week is only possible because of the success of the vaccine rollout and by begging individuals to get their jab and to exercise caution to prevent the reinstatement of lockdown measures becoming necessary.“It is absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution. And I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough,” he said. “This pandemic is not over. This disease coronavirus continues to carry risks for you and for your family. We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday 19 July to life as it was before Covid.”On the specifics of what will change, Mr Johnson said: “We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing, but we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with those you don’t normally meet, such as on public transport.“We’re removing the government instruction to work from home where you can but we don’t expect that the whole country will return to their desks as one from Monday. And we’re setting out guidance for business for a gradual return to work over the summer.“And as a matter of social responsibility we’re urging nightclubs and other venues with large crowds to make use of the NHS Covid Pass – which shows proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity – as a means of entry.”Responding to the prime minister, doctors’ leaders condemned his decision to press ahead with lockdown lifting as “irresponsible”, with the British Medical Association (BMA) warning of “potentially devastating consequences”.Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA council chair, said that by going ahead, the government was reneging on its promise to be led by the data and the impact on the NHS, arguing that scrapping restrictions while a significant proportion of the population was still not fully vaccinated would allow the virus to “retighten its grip”, driving up infections and hospitalisations and putting more lives at risk.“It’s irresponsible – and frankly perilous – that the government has decided to press ahead with plans to lift the remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19,” he said.“The BMA has repeatedly warned of the rapidly rising infection rate and the crippling impact that Covid-related hospitalisations continue to have on the NHS, not only pushing staff to the brink of collapse but also driving up already lengthy waiting times for elective care.“The prime minister repeatedly emphasised the importance of a slow and cautious approach, but in reality the government is throwing caution to the wind by scrapping all regulations in one fell swoop – with potentially devastating consequences.”Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, the chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said her organisation did not generally involve itself in public debate but “felt it necessary to say caution is vital” regarding 19 July.“We need everyone to think very carefully and responsibly about what they’re doing personally: Just because the law changes doesn’t mean that what we do as individuals has to change,” she told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, responded to the decision by observing: “One person’s freedom is another person’s Fear Day.”The latest daily official figures showed cases continue to surge with a further 34,471 laboratory-confirmed infections in the UK as of 9am on Monday.Under current modelling, the peak of the wave is not expected before mid-August, when there could be 1,000 to 2,000 hospital admissions per day, with deaths possibly reaching between 100 and 200 per day.What are the rules on masks from 19 July?Nationwide regulations on mask-wearing are to be lifted, although there will be an “expectation” that the public continue to sport masks in confined spaces out of consideration for others.Local transport authorities and airlines will also be able to set mask-wearing as a condition for travel but there will be no law requiring them to be worn.Leaving the issue largely down to a matter of “personal choice” will be welcomed by some who have found them uncomfortable and by conservatives who have long considered the requirement an infringement of their civil liberties but it could cause tensions in workplaces where employees feel uncomfortable about having no more safeguarding measures in place.What are the new rules on social distancing?Social distancing rules will also be scrapped, meaning table service-only measures will no longer be necessary in pubs and restaurants and drinkers can once more order at the bar.Sports stadiums and entertainment venues such as nightclubs, theatres and cinemas will be allowed to fully reopen with no cap on capacity and care homes will be reopened to visitors.However, distancing will continue at ports and airports, where the one-metre plus rule will still apply for passenger safety.What are the new rules on self-isolating?The requirement to self-isolate for 10 days will remain in place for those who test positive for Covid-19 but those who have had both vaccine jabs will not have to quarantine when returning from an amber list holiday destination or, as of 16 August, automatically self-isolate if contacted by the NHS track and trace app.Instead, they will be encouraged to take a PCR test to establish whether they themselves have contracted the virus, only after which might self-isolation be considered necessary.What are the rules on working from home?The requirement to work from home, where possible, will end, but employers are being encouraged to consult with their staff before issuing definite instructions. 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Sajid Javid has warned that NHS waiting lists could rocket to 13 million in the coming months as the health service grapples with the Covid third wave on top of a huge backlog of treatment.In his first interview since taking over as health secretary, Mr Javid said he was “shocked” by the growing numbers waiting for non-Covid care.Hospitals across the country are already in crisis mode because of surging Covid cases and staff shortages due to workers having to self-isolate if they are ‘pinged’ by the Covid app.The Independent revealed on Friday that thousands of patients are being kept on hold for at least two minutes before 999 calls are answered, while new figures show record numbers of trips to A&E last month.Officials have told Mr Javid that situation will worsen in the coming weeks.”What shocked me the most is when I was told that the waiting list is going to get a lot worse before it gets better,” he told the Sunday Telegraph.”It’s gone up from 3.5 million to 5.3 million as of today, and I said to the officials so what do you mean ‘a lot worse’, thinking maybe it goes from 5.3 million to six million, seven million. They said no, it’s going to go up by millions… it could go as high as 13 million.”Hearing that figure of 13 million, it has absolutely focused my mind, and it’s going to be one of my top priorities to deal with because we can’t have that.”It comes as NHS trusts are facing the combined hit of Covid cases rising again, the backlog for other treatments including cancer checks and heart disease,NHS Providers, the membership organisation for NHS trusts in England, warned that up to a fifth of staff could be absent from one NHS trust in just three weeks from now, potentially leading to the cancellation of as many as 900 operations.At least four ambulance trusts have issued “black alerts” in recent days, with queues to admit patients and waits of up to 15 hours inside hospitals.Mr Javid also confirmed that ministers were considering weakening the isolation policy for double-jabbed NHS staff, saying there is “every reason to think that we can take a more proportionate and balanced approach.”Warnings over 19 July, when almost all Covid restrictions are lifted, were echoed by Greater Manchester metro mayor Andy Burnham, who said it was more like “anxiety day” than freedom day.”The Government is simply wrong to frame everything from here as a matter of pure personal choice. It is not,” he told the Observer.”Many people who are vulnerable to the virus have to use public transport and do their food shopping in person. That is why the wearing of face coverings in these settings should have remained mandatory. I will be strongly encouraging the people of Greater Manchester to continue to wear masks on public transport out of respect for others.”Mr Javid said anyone who would not wear a mask in an enclosed space was “just being irresponsible” despite it becoming guidance rather than the law in Step 4 of restrictions lifting.Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Given Sajid Javid now considers it irresponsible to not wear masks then it would be equally irresponsible for his government to carry on with the plan to lift mask requirements while infections are heading to 100,000 a day.”The rate of new cases of coronavirus in most areas of England is now back at levels last seen during the winter.Patient numbers have risen to levels last seen around three months ago.And there has been a very slight increase in the average number of deaths reported each day of people in England who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.But this is still far below the sort of numbers seen in January and February of this year.The Sunday Times reported that No 10 had asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to look at whether the wait between the two doses of the vaccine could be cut to four weeks in light of the rise in cases. More

The public will be able to order lateral flow tests online for free until at least the end of August, the government has confirmed. It comes weeks after parliament was told the free asymptomatic testing using the devices would be extended until the end of this month.The government has now the scheme will run until at least the end of August.“Regular testing using rapid lateral flow tests is essential to controlling Covid-19 and variants of concern as restrictions are lifted,” a Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Independent on Thursday.“So far 251,126 positive cases have been detected using LFDs that wouldn’t have been found otherwise, helping to break chains of transmission and save lives.”The spokesperson added: “In England you can continue to order free LFDs online until at least the end of August 2021. “Details of any extension of the programme will be set out in due course.”The pharmacy collection service – which also lets people with no Covid symptoms get free rapid tests – will also run until at least the end of next month.It comes afterThe Independent reported there would be a forthcoming statement about how long free rapid tests would be provided to the public.On the same day in mid-June the government announced England’s roadmap out of lockdown would be pushed back, Matt Hancock, then-health secretary, said asymptomatic testing would continue to be offered until the end of this month.In spring this year, the government said everyone in England could access two free rapid flow tests a week in a new testing regime in a bid to prevent Covid outbreaks. Lateral flow tests have also been made available in workplaces to allow those without Covid symptoms to get tested. It is estimated around a third of people with coronavirus do not show any symptoms. The government says employers have until 19 July to order free rapid lateral flow tests for employees. More

The spread of the Delta variant in the UK could have been curbed by stronger border measures, the chairman of Nervtag has said.Professor Sir Peter Horby told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that modelling of the Delta variant suggests a more transmissible strain than the Alpha, or Kent, variant and that it will be difficult to control. He believes we will soon see it spreading across Europe.Asked if the Delta variant’s spread in the UK was due to not having strong enough border measures earlier, Prof Horby said: “It’s clear that the Delta variant started to transmit within the UK because of introductions from other countries.“So I think there is a case to be said that that did happen and stronger border measures may have delayed that, may even have prevented it.“But there is an obvious trade-off that policymakers and politicians have to make between absolute complete restrictions and stopping various viruses coming in.”Boris Johnson has faced criticism for not putting India on the “red list” earlier when it became apparent that a new variant was spreading rapidly across the nation. The variant now makes up more than 90 per cent of cases in England and is estimated by Public Health England (PHE) to be 64 per cent more transmissible than the Alpha variant indoors.Official estimates suggest that around 20,000 passengers who could have been infected with the Delta variant between early April and 23 April, when India was put on the red list.Prof Horby’s verdict comes just weeks after Labour shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, dubbed the Delta variant the “Johnson variant” and accused the government’s “unforgivable recklessness” with its approach to border protections. Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “They have allowed the Delta variant, first identified in India to take hold here. Let’s call it what it is – let’s put the blame where it should lie. In this country – it’s the Johnson variant.” More

Ministers are pushing ahead with a ban on TV or online adverts for junk food before the 9pm television watershed, according to reports.Small businesses will be exempt from the ban, which is part of Boris Johnson’s efforts to tackle obesity, under plans due to be unveiled by the government on Thursday, the Telegraph reports.Restaurants, cafes and bakeries had raised concerns they would not be able to advertise their products on their own social media accounts if the government went ahead with the plans, which were outlined in the Queen’s Speech.However, it is understood that small businesses with 249 employees or fewer will be exempt from the ban and permitted to advertise foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS).Restrictions for online adverts will stop short of a total ban, as it will only apply to paid-for advertising, according to the Telegraph.The Advertising Association said it was “dismayed” by the move, which will mean food and drink companies will not be able to advertise “new product innovations and reformulations”.The restrictions will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, which will order companies breaking the rules to take down adverts and potentially sanction repeat offenders.In its initial consultation for the move, the government cited research published by Cancer Research UK in September 2019 that suggests almost half of all food adverts (47.6 per cent) shown on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky One were for HFSS products. That rises to almost 60 per cent between 6pm and 9pm – the peak viewing period for children.Analysis by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) suggested ending the ads could benefit children by removing the equivalent of 150 million chocolate biscuits or 41 million cheeseburgers a year from their diets.A briefing document published to accompany the Queen’s Speech last month set out the plans, which have previously been criticised as “headline-chasing policy” rather than helping to reduce obesity rates by campaigners.Sue Eustace, public affairs director at the Advertising Association, said: “We all want to see a healthier, more active population, but the government’s own analysis shows these measures won’t work.“Levelling up society will not be achieved by punishing some of the UK’s most successful industries for minimal effect on obesity levels.” More

The government should not rule out a fourth coronavirus lockdown in winter, a Public Health England adviser has said, amid warnings of a possible rise in Covid-19 cases towards the end of the year.What have the scientists said?Dr Susan Hopkins, the strategic response director for Covid-19 at Public Health England (PHE), warned there may need to be further lockdowns over winter.On Sunday, she told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: “We may have to do further lockdowns this winter, I can’t predict the future, it really depends on whether the hospitals start to become overwhelmed at some point.”But I think we will have alternative ways to manage this, through vaccination, through anti-virals, through drugs, through testing that we didn’t have last winter.”All of those things allow us different approaches rather than restrictions on livelihoods that will move us forward into the next phase of learning to live with this as an endemic that happens as part of the respiratory viruses.”She said there were “rises and falls” in cases across the country, with the virus having “definitely reserved” in Bolton and “stabilised” in Blackburn with Darwen, but continuing to “rise quite fast” in London and the northeast.Similarly, Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the government, has also warned that the emergence of new respiratory viruses means a “pretty miserable winter” for the UK with further lockdowns a possibility.On Sunday, Professor Semple told Times Radio: “I suspect we’ll have a pretty miserable winter because the other respiratory viruses are going to come back and bite us quite hard. But after that, I think we’ll be seeing business as normal next year.”There’s a sting in the tail after every pandemic, because social distancing will have reduced exposure, particularly of pregnant women and their newborn babies, they will have not been exposed to the usual endemic respiratory viruses.”The protection that a pregnant woman would give to their unborn child has not occurred.”So we are going to see a rise in a disease called bronchiolitis, and a rise in community acquired pneumonia in children and in the frail elderly, to the other respiratory viruses for which we don’t have vaccines.”So that’s why we’re predicting a rough July, August and then a rough winter period.”Professor Semple called it the “fourth wave winter” but added it would be much milder than the previous ones.What have the politicians said?When he announced a delay to the final stage of lifting England’s lockdown last week, Boris Johnson told the public he was confident the restrictions will not need to continue beyond 19 July.“We will monitor the position every day and if after two weeks we have concluded that the risk has diminished then we reserve the possibility of proceeding to Step 4 and full opening sooner,” the prime minister said.“As things stand – and on the basis of the evidence I can see right now – I am confident we will not need any more than four weeks and we won’t need to go beyond 19 July”.Kwasi Kwarteng has suggested it is “unlikely”the remaining Covid restrictions will be lifted before 19 July, stressing the government would “always err on the side of caution”.Pressed on the date, the business secretary, Mr Kwarteng, who said he hoped for “some type of normality” on 19 July, told Sky News: “I think between you and me, I would always err on the side of caution and I would look to 19 July.“It could be before, but I think that’s unlikely. Well, I don’t know, that’s just my guess. Generally we’ve stuck to the dates that we’ve said.“I remember in the previous dates there was a lot of push to try to get the dates 12 April earlier, the 17 May earlier. That didn’t happen.”Wales’ first minister, Mark Drakeford, has said another lockdown in the country is highly unlikely but not inconceivable because of the potential threat posed by coronavirus variants.The Welsh Labour leader warned the risk of mutations developing which vaccinations are less effective against means “it simply doesn’t make sense” to rule out reimposing the highest level of restrictions.Mr Drakeford has delayed the further easing of Wales’s Covid restrictions for four weeks in response to a spike in cases of the variant to see if they lead to increased pressure on the NHS. More