Oxford jab works in over 65s, says WHO
In a momentous move, the WHO has recommended that the AZ vaccine be given to the over 65s. At a press conference today, experts acknowledged that while only a small number of older participants had been used in trials, there was good evidence that the vaccine would be equally effective across all age groups.
The WHO has also followed Britain in advising that two doses of the AZ jab should be given eight to 12 weeks apart, and has recommended that countries with the South Africa variant should still deploy the vaccine, which was likely to prevent hospitalisations and deaths.
Germany, France, Spain and Sweden are among the countries that have refused to give the jab to older people. The WHO verdict is a rebuke to French President Emmanuel Macron who claimed the AZ vaccine was “quasi-ineffective”. The announcement should encourage these nations to ditch the over-65 restriction and get jabbing.
Boris Johnson welcomed the news at this evening’s Downing Street press conference which had a definite upbeat feel, despite the PM’s talk of a “long and hard road back to normality”.
A quarter of UK adults have now had at least one jab. The government is on course to exceed its target of vaccinating 15 million of the most vulnerable by 15 February and the PM repeated the aim to vaccinate all over 50s by “the end of April” which is looking increasingly plausible.
Cases, deaths and hospitalisations are all down by around a quarter this week compared to last. Sir Patrick Vallance cautioned that it was still too early to tell for sure whether vaccinations were having an impact.
But the Sun has seen data – due out in the next few days – suggesting that both the AZ and Pfizer jabs are around two thirds effective after a single dose.
The figures show that the first Pfizer dose cuts symptomatic infection risk by 64 per cent in over-80s and by 65 per cent in younger adults. A second dose saw protection rise to between 79 and 84 per cent in all age groups. The AZ jab was shown to be similarly robust. A government source called the findings “hugely positive.”
If these numbers are accurate, vaccinating the 15 million most vulnerable could mean a reduction in intensive care admissions by around 80 per cent by the end of April, according to government experts.
Meanwhile, fury at the government’s draconian travel policy is intensifying. See Alex Starling and Caitlin Allen below.
Ursula admits to being slow
Ursula von der Leyen has admitted for the first time that the EU had been too slow on the vaccine rollout and that failings had been made. “We were late. We were too optimistic on mass production. And perhaps we were also too certain that the orders would actually be delivered on time,” she said today in a speech at the European Parliament.
The EU Commission President acknowledged that Europe is “not where it wants to be” in immunising its citizens against the virus.
She expressed “deep regret” for the decision to threaten to introduce controls on the Irish border on 29 January, a move swiftly reversed following uproar from London and Dublin.
It wasn’t a simple mea culpa, however. Von der Leyen said that it had been right for the EU to have acted together rather than competing as individual nation states. And she framed the slow authorisation of vaccines as a conscious decision, rather than a failing: “We have made a choice to not make any shortcuts when it comes to safety or efficacy. We fully defend that choice.”
But countries on the bloc’s periphery aren’t hanging around for Brussels to get its act together.
Hungary has become the first EU country to roll out Russia’s Sputnik vaccine this week. Serbia, which is outside the EU, has been using China’s Sinopharm shot and is on course to inoculate 10 per cent of its population by 15 February.
“Whether [vaccines] come from China, the US or EU – we don’t care as long as they’re safe and we get them as soon as possible,” said Serbian Prime Minster, Ana Brnabic. “For us, vaccination is not a geopolitical matter. It is a healthcare issue.”
Von der Leyen may end up having to be equally pragmatic.
Book while you can
A germ-free atmosphere, no news, and complete freedom to roam is attracting tourists to an unlikely holiday destination: Mars.
The second spacecraft in two days has gone into orbit around the red planet after China’s Tianwen-1 probe completed its seven-month voyage.
Tianwen-1 – meaning “questions to heaven” – was hot on the heels of a United Arab Emirates spacecraft which accomplished the same feat yesterday. Paul Sapper has more below on the Arab world’s first successful interplanetary mission.
Following up the rear is the US Perseverance spacecraft, due to arrive next week. All three missions have taken advantage of Earth’s alignment with Mars, the best in two years.
Scientists hope the trio of visitors will usher in a new era of Martian exploration.
Mattie Brignal,
News Editor