If youd like to get in touch this morning, you can tweet me vicderbyshire or email victoria bbc. Co. Uk. And the queen and Prime Minister have led tributes to captain sir tom moore, whos died at 100 years old after Testing Positive for Coronavirus Last week. The government says it will ensure hes officially remembered. I think we should find a way to make sure that we mark the memory of captain tom and thank him for the contribution that he made for the nhs. Good morning. The health secretary, matt hancock, has described as absolutely superb the findings of a study which suggests for the first time that the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine significantly reduces people passing on the virus. The research by oxford university, which has not yet been formally published, also found that the jab provides a high level of protection, even when theres a gap of 12 weeks between the two doses. Researchers believe that the vaccine remains 76 effective for up to three months after the first shot, while people wait for a second dose. Until now, little has been known about how effective vaccines are at preventing transmission of the disease. But researchers found that the vaccine may have a significant effect on transmission of the virus, with a 67 reduction in positive swabs among those vaccinated. Andy moore reports. A double dose of good news about the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine anyone who gets the jab is less likely to pass on the virus to others, and theres support also for the governments policy of a second jab after 12 weeks. We found there was a big reduction in people being infected with coronavirus and because they were not infected, they cant go on and transmit to other people. And so that is really important in potentially curbing the pandemic. Secondly, we had really good protection right from a couple of weeks after the first dose through to the second dose being given three months later, which tells us that theres maintained efficacy over that period. Hello hi. But the news about variance is less reassuring the surge in door to door testing in eight areas could now be extended to parts of bristol and liverpool, after new strains were found there that could be more resistant to vaccines. In scotland, the First Minister said there would be a full lockdown until at least the end of the month, and that travellers arriving directly into scotland from any country will be asked to quarantine in a hotel going further than measures announced in the rest of the uk. As we look ahead, we must learn from past experience. We now know, for example, that by earlyjuly last year, we had almost eliminated covid in scotland, but then allowed it to be reseeded from in the main overseas travel. We must guard against that happening again. In england, the Ministry Of Defence says additional measures will be put into place at the Royal Military academy at sandhurst after an increase in covid cases there a newspaper report claimed that 50 Trainee Officers had contracted the virus. France, meanwhile, hasjoined germany, austria and sweden in recommending the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine should not currently be used on people over the age of 65. The French Health regulator said there was not enough data at the moment on the effectiveness of the jab in older people. Health officials here in the uk say the vaccine offers a high level of protection to all age groups. Andy moore, bbc news. This morning, the health secretary, matt hancock, welcomed the reports findings. That is really good news, its very positive, because we know that vaccines are the way out of this and this new information from oxford shows that the oxford jab works. And given all the questions that have been raised and whats going on internationally, i think its very important that we show the world that the oxford jab works and works well. Professor Andrew Pollard is chief investigator of this new trial. It reduces the chances of someone who is exposed to getting the infection, and if they dont get the infection, they cant pass it on, so it decreases the risk of transmission in the population. There is one word of caution, in that one of the things this virus is doing as it produces new variants is to try and avoid exactly that happening and to be able to still transmit, despite the fact that we have some immunity, whether from the fact that we have some immunity, Whetherfrom Infection the fact that we have some immunity, whether from infection or vaccines. It is likely, over time, the virus will find ways of adapting so it can continue to pass between people, despite natural infection and immunity after that, or despite natural infection and immunity afterthat, orfrom despite natural infection and immunity after that, or from the vaccines. But that doesnt mean we wont still have protection against severe disease, because there is lots of different ways in which our Immune System fights the virus, it is much more about the virus being able to continue to survive, rather than for it to cause harm to us. But if we do need to update the vaccines, it is a relatively straightforward process, it only takes a matter of months, rather the huge efforts that everyone went through last year to get a very large scale trials run. We through last year to get a very large scale trials run. Through last year to get a very large scale trials run. We can get more on this large scale trials run. We can get more on this from large scale trials run. We can get more on this from pallab large scale trials run. We can get more on this from pallab ghosh. | large scale trials run. We can get. More on this from pallab ghosh. A number of exciting things emerging from this study, lets talk about transmission, what does it tell us about whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus . We about whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus . Transmit the virus . We heard from matt hancock transmit the virus . We heard from matt hancock sounding transmit the virus . We heard from matt hancock sounding very transmit the virus . We heard from | matt hancock sounding very happy. That is because his life got a whole lot easier, because if vaccinated people and transmitting, if verified, because it has not been fully Peer Reviewed yet, for the independently checked, but if verified, it will mean that people who have been vaccinated are less likely to transmit it to others. And what that means is that the number of cases will come down faster than they would have otherwise, and that of course means that restrictions will be able to be lifted faster than could be done otherwise. But the downside, as we heard in the report, is that there are other variants that are battling against our Immune System, battling against the vaccine, so there is a race going on between the bugs adapting in the uk we have heard that there are some that are more resistant to the vaccine, but what weve got to do is what the Department Of Health is doing, suppressing the new variants as best they can to make sure as many of us as possible are vaccinated so that we can start winning this battle. find vaccinated so that we can start winning this battle. Vaccinated so that we can start winning this battle. And what does this study tell winning this battle. And what does this study tell us winning this battle. And what does this study tell us about winning this battle. And what does this study tell us about the winning this battle. And what does this study tell us about the degree i this study tell us about the degree of protection from the first dose of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine . Well, the mutation first identified in south africa was found to be more resistant to some of the vaccines there, but there was vaccines were good enough to stop serious illness, still a high degree of protection. But what it means that it will slow down progress in trying to reduce transmission, which is why there is such an effort in those eight areas where the variant has been identified that might be resistant to vaccines, to try and identify those with the very intent to stop it from spreading so that we can gain the upper hand. find it from spreading so that we can gain the upper hand. Gain the upper hand. And good protection. Gain the upper hand. And good protection. I gain the upper hand. And good protection, i think gain the upper hand. And good protection, i think the gain the upper hand. And good protection, i think the figure i gain the upper hand. And good protection, i think the figure is i protection, i think the figure is 76 , so sustained protection of around 76 for that three months until the second dose, is that correct . , until the second dose, is that correct . ,. , correct . That is right, there has been a lot correct . That is right, there has been a lot of correct . That is right, there has been a lot of argybargy correct . That is right, there has been a lot of argybargy as correct . That is right, there has been a lot of argybargy as to i been a lot Of Argy Bargy as to whether that three month period was sufficient. It was, in the clinical trial, supposed to be three weeks, and various groups including the British Medical Association was suggesting that it should be shorter. But there is backs the Government Strategy of having it at three months. It means that more people can receive their first dose and receive a good degree of protection than would otherwise so this will reduce deaths, so another piece of great news. This will reduce deaths, so another piece of great news. Thank you very much. 0n the spot Doorstep Tests and Mobile Testing Units are continuing to be deployed in some areas of england, with the aim of reaching 80,000 people, amid fears the more infectious variant may be spreading in communities. The measures were introduced earlier this week after 11 cases of the South African variant of the virus was discovered that werent linked to international travel. The areas affected include parts of surrey, north london, walsalland kent, including maidenhead, from where our correspondent ben bland sent this. Theyre aiming to get Coronavirus Home Testing Kits to around 4,500 people across maidstone, here in kent, and the variant they are worried about here is different to the ones they are concerned about in liverpool and bristol. The ones in liverpool and bristol actually first emerged here in kent. The one they are worried about here in kent first emerged in south africa, and all of that gives you a sense of how hard it is to keep on top of the virus. These variants, the reason they are causing concern, is because they seem to be easier to catch and pass on than the original coronavirus, meaning that anyone thats infected with them is more likely to then go on and infect more people. But there is some cause for optimism. Scientists say that the variations they are seen, these new versions of the virus, it seems to be changing in similar ways each time. Now, that means if they do have to change the vaccine in response, to make sure the vaccines are still offering effective protection, the fact there are those similarities makes it easier to do so. Dr Gabriel Scally is a lecturer in Public Health at the university of bristol, and also a member of the group of scientists who call themselves independent sage. They have been critical of much of the governments handling of this pandemic. How worried should we be about the mutations . ~ ~ ,. , mutations . Well, i think we should be worried and mutations . Well, i think we should be worried and are mutations . Well, i think we should be worried and are very mutations . Well, i think we should be worried and are very concerned | be worried and are very concerned indeed that we are getting so many of them at the present time. The difficulty is. The key difficulty i see is the transmissibility issue. The more infectious the virus becomes, the tougher it is it is to get the virus under control and get the variants eradicated. As we know, cases can shoot up like a rocket, so just imagine variants which make that happen even quicker, so a real problem. But the real danger behind it all is is vaccine escape, that the new variants might change just enough to make the antibodies generated by the vaccine, you know, not effective against the variants. So that emerging would be extremely difficult. All the evidence, according to experts so far anyway, is that although vaccines is that although vaccines might be sli. Htl is that although vaccines might be slightly less is that although vaccines might be slightly less effective is that although vaccines might be slightly less effective against is that although vaccines might be slightly less effective against the l slightly less effective against the mutations, they are still effective. Yes, thats right. There is some evidence that there is a reduced effectiveness, but still pretty high. But the virus Keeps Changing And changing and changing, and the more we have the virus circulating in our communities, they more new variants were likely to get. So the only safe way to do it is notjust to target the variants, which is a good idea, absolutely get rid of them if we can, but we need to get our overall level of virus down. We really do need to think about a zero covid strategy now, get it down to the levels of lastjune, get it down, keep it down and keep it out. If the Vaccine Programme continues to roll out in the way it has been so far, swiftly and successfully, does that mean there will be less opportunity for mutations . Absolutely, absolutely. We need to reduce the opportunity for mutations to appear. Firstly, we need to get those numbers down in the country, and the case numbers down, so that there isnt as much virus circulating and replicating in the country. But, secondly, we also need to take more effective action to stop the variants coming through our open doors. 50 stop the variants coming through our 0 en doors. , stop the variants coming through our 0 en doors. I. Stop the variants coming through our open doors open doors. So you mean on the borders. Open doors. So you mean on the borders i open doors. So you mean on the borders. I mean, open doors. So you mean on the borders. I mean, at open doors. So you mean on the borders. I mean, at some open doors. So you mean on the borders. I mean, at some point, j open doors. So you mean on the i borders. I mean, at some point, we dont know when and it hasnt yet been imposed, there will be a red list of countries, passengers arriving in the uk will have to go to Hotel Quarantine it hasnt come in yet, you think the delay is worrying. I in yet, you think the delay is worrying in yet, you think the delay is wor inc. ~ ,. , worrying. I think it is. The Open Door Policy worrying. I think it is. The Open Door Policy at worrying. I think it is. The Open Door Policy at our worrying. I think it is. The Open Door Policy at our ports worrying. I think it is. The Open Door Policy at our ports and door policy at our ports and airports has been very worrying for airports has been very worrying for a long time. We know that the current policy of voluntary self isolation isnt working at all. Its a tissue paper solution. Managed isolation at our ports and airports is absolutely the way forward, and i think scotlands announcement is very relevant to that Point Of View, and that is the sort of measures that we need across the uk, and in the Republic Of Ireland as well, we need to operate as a Common Travel Area and put proper Public Health controls on ports and airports for the first time. , ~ ,. Ports and airports for the first time. , ~ ,. , time. Thank you very much for talkin time. Thank you very much for talking to time. Thank you very much for talking to us. The uk will find a way to mark the legacy of captain sir tom moore with some kind of permanent memorial. The health secretary, matt hancock, says people would welcome a way to thank him for the contribution he has made to the country. News of his death has dominated all of the newspapers this morning, and tributes have been paid around the world. 0ur Reporterjohn Maguire has more. From his street to downing street, some of our most famous landmarks paid tribute to one of our most cherished sons, adored notjust by us, but by the world. For the last ten months, captain sir toms family loaned him to all of us. But for his final hours, they had him to themselves. In a statement, they said, we spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. Hed understand that were sad and that were feeling a loss. But he would absolutely want us to remember what has happened, what we did, how we all came together, how we united, how we found in him a beacon. While the rest of us adapted to living a life locked down, a 99 year old veteran of the Second World War set off on a journey. It would take him to the top of the charts, into the record books, and around the globe, all without leaving his back garden. Captain tom moore wanted to thank the medical staff whod cared for him following a fall. Ive had such marvellous service from the National Health service, particularly the nurses, after i broke my hip. The idea was born. Raise money for nhs charities, keep physically active during lockdown, and mark his 100th Birthday with 100 laps. He might raise £100. But as he walked, we watche