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A care home group where a quarter of residents died of Covid says news of a third booster jab are very welcome, ITV News Health Editor Emily Morgan reports
Millions of people who are more vulnerable to coronavirus may be offered a third booster vaccine to give them prolonged protection against Covid-19 from September.
Experts advising the government hope that booster jabs will ensure the protection these groups of people have from the first and second doses is maintained ahead of winter and against new variants.
It comes after an Oxford University study showed that giving people a third dose more than six months after their second led to a substantial rise in antibodies and increased the body’s T-cell ability to fight coronavirus, including its variants.
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Will the new findings on mixing vaccines change how people get their jabs right now? ITV News Health Editor Emily Morgan explains Mixing and matching doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines generates a robust immune response, a new study suggests.
The research, undertaken by the University of Oxford, found that using Pfizer followed by the AstraZeneca vaccine produced high concentrations of antibodies.
Antibodies offer protection against illnesses.
It is hoped the findings could help vaccination programmes around the world by allowing people to get whatever jab is available, rather than waiting for a match.
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The ONS also said just 0.03% of people over 70 had tested positive for Covid in the week ending April 24.
The low numbers among the most vulnerable show the vaccine programme is working.
The latest government figures say almost 27% of people in the UK have had their second jab - including most of the people vulnerable to the virus.
The fact Covid infections have continued to fall despite all four nations of the UK easing lockdown in recent weeks will be welcome news for the government and devolved nations.
The ONS infection survey is seen as one of the key indicators the government monitors to determine if their lockdown lifting programme is working.
Tuesday April 20, 2021, 5:47 PM
Coronavirus capsules or tablets designed to treat Covid-19 at home could be ready as soon as autumn, the government has announced.
Boris Johnson said he s launched a new Antivirals Taskforce to identify treatments for people exposed to the virus, which it is hoped could stop the infection spreading and speed up recovery time.
It is hoped at least two effective treatments in either in a tablet or capsule form will be available this year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he hopes the government can roll them out as soon as the autumn .
Working in a similar way to the Vaccines Taskforce, the antivirals team will search for the most promising home treatments and support their development through clinical trials to ensure they can be rapidly rolled out as soon as possible.
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