prince william breaks his silence after harry and meghan�*s interview — with a direct challenge to their most explosive claim. is the royalfamily a racist family sir? we are very much not a racist family. it's one year since the world health organisation declared coronavirus a global pandemic. since it first emerged in china, 118 million people have been infected. and 2.6 million people have died. the united states is the worst affected country, with more than half a million deaths. in the uk, the death toll has passed 125,000. anne marie rafferty is president of the uk's royal college of nursing. it's a sense of shock and it was quite profound and i think that continues to some extent although people have attuned to the pandemic, no one hoped it would last this long i think the psychological consequences of this have yet to completely unfurl. the great success of the last year has been the development of vaccines. more than 300 million doses have been administered worldwide. and the pace is accelerating, but as this graph shows there are big differences globally. chile and israel are vaccinating up to 1% of their population every day. brazil, russia and china for example are distributing jabs much more slowly. several european countries have temporarily halted use of the astrazeneca vaccine, after reports a small number of people out several million experienced blood clots. norway and iceland announced their decision, folllowing denmark pausing its rollout for 14 days. here's denmark's prime minister. damn will suspend the use of the astrazeneca vaccine until authorities have made the risks clear. that is always a risk connected to vaccines, although things have gone let them denmark, there are links risk to astrazeneca that we need to investigate further and i think it's the right way to approach this. 5 million people have received the astrazeneca vaccine in europe so far. the european medicines agency today reiterated it is still safe to use. and it pointed out that "the number of thrombo—embolic events in vaccinated people is no higher than the number seen in the general population". to be clear, they're saying if you take a group of 5 million people, you would expect some of them would experience blood clots, without having a vaccine. the number of vaccinated people who have reported blood clots is 30. the regulator said, "there is currently no indication that vaccination has caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects". one british epidemiologist described halting the rollout as "a super—cautious approach" based on some "isolated reports". professor steven evans said "the risk and benefit balance is still very much in favour of the vaccine". astrazeneca's vaccine was developed in the uk — and the uk's foreign secretary was among those backing it again today. we very confident as a result of rigorous domestic checks he had that the vaccine is safe to take but of course at the same time we respect that each country wants to follow their regulatory processes very carefully. astrazeneca's vaccine has now been paused in some other countries however — including estonia, lithuania, latvia and luxembourg. they're focusing on one particular batch ofi million doses. the alert was triggered when a woman in austria died from blood clots days after being vaccinated. italy meanwhile has banned doses from a different batch — after a soldier in sicily suffered a cardiac arrest. the italian regulator stressed the decision was a precaution, and there is no evidence that the vaccine was to blame. we will now speak to a professor. thank you forjoining us. what are your thoughts as you hear me listing all of these countries causing the use of this vaccine. fine all of these countries causing the use of this vaccine.— use of this vaccine. one of my colleagues — use of this vaccine. one of my colleagues today _ use of this vaccine. one of my colleagues today pointed - use of this vaccine. one of my colleagues today pointed out. use of this vaccine. one of my . colleagues today pointed out four months ago i said this is exactly what we should expect. we get coincidentally —— coincidentally events that are nothing to do it and asked the man sometimes they are very unusual events. in 2009 a young woman in coventry died shortly after having the hpv vaccine and the media went crazy. but it turned out that she had a very rare tumour in her heart and so when we vaccinate as you said elderly people particularly we are going to get blood clots and some of them may be fatal i'm afraid. , ., some of them may be fatal i'm afraid, , ., ., some of them may be fatal i'm afraid. , ., ., ., some of them may be fatal i'm afraid. ., ., , , ., afraid. so you are not persuaded that there _ afraid. so you are not persuaded that there is _ afraid. so you are not persuaded that there is any _ afraid. so you are not persuaded that there is any connection - afraid. so you are not persuaded - that there is any connection between the astrazeneca vaccine and the cases being reported? i the astrazeneca vaccine and the cases being reported?— the astrazeneca vaccine and the cases being reported? i think it is very unlikely- _ cases being reported? i think it is very unlikely. what _ cases being reported? i think it is very unlikely. what we _ cases being reported? i think it is very unlikely. what we know - cases being reported? i think it is very unlikely. what we know is i cases being reported? i think it is. very unlikely. what we know is that the disease itself, covid—i9 that we are trying to prevent is definitely associated with blood clots and many of those are fatal and we have had thousands of people dying from dallas and so unless you are really, really sure that somebody had not got covid—i9 when they revaccinated you really can't be sure that it's the vaccine and not the disease which is very prevalent in all parts of europe at the moment. can which is very prevalent in all parts of europe at the moment.- which is very prevalent in all parts of europe at the moment. can i ask ou about of europe at the moment. can i ask you about the _ of europe at the moment. can i ask you about the idea _ of europe at the moment. can i ask you about the idea that _ of europe at the moment. can i ask you about the idea that there - of europe at the moment. can i ask you about the idea that there is - you about the idea that there is concerns around a certain batch? is there a problem where some are problematic and some are not? it is extremely rare. _ problematic and some are not? it is extremely rare. i _ problematic and some are not? it 3 extremely rare. i do not know about an incident since 2009 but what tends to happen is you get bacterial contamination before you get something like fragments of glass in a batch and so the manufacturer usually detects those and withdraws the batch. having an effect like a blood clot is totally unprecedented as happening with a batch to my knowledge. i don't think the batch is anything to do with it. i am thinkin: is anything to do with it. i am thinking back— is anything to do with it. i am thinking back to _ is anything to do with it. i am thinking back to a _ is anything to do with it. i am thinking back to a german - is anything to do with it. i am thinking back to a german doctor we heard from last weekly step astrazeneca vaccine does not have a science problem, it has a pr problem. would you agree with that? i would and the public is politicians get involved. which oliticians politicians get involved. which politicians do _ politicians get involved. which politicians do you _ politicians get involved. which politicians do you have - politicians get involved. which politicians do you have in - politicians get involved. which l politicians do you have in mind? politicians get involved. which - politicians do you have in mind? we had politicians do you have in mind? - had various politicians who make statements about the efficacy of the vaccine in the elderly and that has happened in various countries in europe and we have had the danish prime minister making remarks. the responsible agency for this is that european medicines agency and they do not have concerns. it is reasonable to investigate it. but you can do a proper study and you should not raise concerns based on things that are only happening at a rate that you would expect. isn’t things that are only happening at a rate that you would expect.- rate that you would expect. isn't it true that there _ rate that you would expect. isn't it true that there is _ rate that you would expect. isn't it true that there is some _ rate that you would expect. isn't it true that there is some research . true that there is some research which shows that blood clots may be caused by the virus itself and as such does that open up the possibility that a vaccine could enter and create that issue? i don't think so with _ enter and create that issue? i don't think so with this _ enter and create that issue? i don't think so with this sort _ enter and create that issue? i don't think so with this sort of— enter and create that issue? i don't think so with this sort of vaccine. . think so with this sort of vaccine. it is not a life vaccine. so i don't think there is any suggestion that that they sell. previous suggestions have been the opposite. that is that there were issues of bleeding and somebody died with one of these vaccines, not the astrazeneca vaccines, not the astrazeneca vaccine in florida. but it is more likely that the way that the immune system response, that it would be in reducing platelet counts which lead to beating. —— bleeding. a fourth vaccine has been approved for use in europe. it's the single—dose jab made byjohnson and johnson. this follows the pfizer, moderna and astrazeneca ones. and this johnson and johnson vaccine was approved by the united states last month. it's one of the cheaper options — not least because doses can be stored at fridge temperature, similar to astrazeneca. and the european union has already ordered 200 million doses. paul stoffels isjohnson & johnson's chief scientific officer. especially a game changer that it's easy to administer and also the stability and it's easy to distribute and efficacy if you focus on the most sever parts of the disease which is severe disease hospitalisation and death and we showed 85% efficacy across the different strains and populations so high efficacy to prevent disease death, and hospitalisation. we have a life picture is coming in from washington. we almost missed the president. he walked out of the oval office with his vice president, harris and he had just signed 1.9 trillion covid—19 ready for bail. he knew this would happen because yesterday we saw it being voted through the house of representatives and it had already gone to the us senate over the weekend. this is a formality although a mythic and formatted fee with the president releasing $1.9 trillion in a number of different directions into the us economy. it has got to gold. the primary one is to address the impact of the pandemic on the us economy but there is an important second one which the democrats are also placing which the democrats are also placing which is it's designed to dearly longer—term inequality and poverty within american society and the democrats are saying this is our commitment to looking after all americans. the president has signed that and the process of the bill being implemented will now follow. as i mentioned before it's exactly one year since this happened. we have therefore made the assessment that covid—19 can be characterised as a pandemic. we're going to take a look at where were are, 12 months into the pandemic. first here's robin brant in shanghai. this is the place where it all began and it started as an outbreak in a small part of the city. it went on to become an epidemic and now it's a global pandemic. but here, 15 months on from that in a country where it all started, things are pretty much normal. in shanghai, everyone wears a mask but the buses are running on the banks are open and the restaurants are doing business. china is a country shut off from the rest of the world. almost no one is allowed in internationally. china's official version of how we dealt with coronavirus is one of success and look at the official numbers. in a country of 1.4 billion people, 15 months on from the outbreak they have had 108,000 cases. according to the official numbers and just under 5000 deaths. from shanghai in china let's go to rome in italy, the first country in the world to impose a nationwide lockdown. here's mark lowen. one year on the situation is again not looking good. with the infection curve rising here and the r value, the spread of the virus going back above one again within the last week italy is thought to be in a third wave. it has become a second country in europe to surpass 100,000 deaths, after the uk and fatalities remain high at three or 400 a day. the government of the new prime minister is tightening restrictions with different regions and different tiers, and yellow, orange and red and he is under pressure to tighten further and faster with support growing for a more stringent lockdown. the us is the country hardest hit by the pandemic. as you can see from the graph more than half a million people have died of covid—19 and at the height of its second wave this winter, it was recording more than 4,000 deaths a day. now though the us vaccine rollout is going well — and cases and hospital admissions are starting to fall. in response to that the governors of texas and mississippi have lifted all compulsory covid restrictions. president biden has called that a big mistake. his reasoning is that texas has recorded the second—highest number of cases and deaths across the us in the past week — and although rates are dropping, the state is still recording about as many cases per day as the uk, despite having a population less than half the size. let's hear the reaction of dr natasha kathuria — she's a doctor working in the emergency department in texas. we are very concerned. we only have about 8—9% of our population that's been vaccinated. so to open up our economyjust yesterday to 100% and removed the mask mandate is very terrifying to us. it happened earlier in the year and we are one of the most aggressive states and reopening our economy and then our surge hit in the summer and wejust got over our second surge this winter. we have very nervous of what is to come. we are hopeful that we have vaccine rates that act at remarkable rates right now and in texas so, we are hopeful to catch up but we cannot slow down this is the time where we really need globally to run faster than ever. we are in the last stretch of the marathon. this is not the time to slow down. so people in texas are no longer required to wear masks, although businesses such as shops and restaurants can still demand that customers wear them. hospitals can do the same. here's dr kathuria again. i think a lot of hospitals are referring to this as we do not allow patients to come into our hospitals with weapons to me for coming with a within committee cannot coming to the hospital. if the thinking right now with masks. if a patient wants to come into the hospital to be treated, the hospital to be treated, we cannot allow them to come in without voluntarily wearing a mask because they are putting our patients at risk and us at risk. and so we have to be really cautious right even though the state is lifting the restrictions, our hospitals and emergency departments cannot because that would just put all of our at—risk patients and patients with cancer at risk of dying from covid—19. let's go to brazil which has exceeded 2,000 covid deaths in a single day for the first time. it has the second highest death toll in the world behind the us, and the current surge is exerting extreme pressure on the health system. camilla mota in sao paulo— whats the situation there— how did it get to this point— how's the vaccine rollout going? different factors explain how we got here. there is a new variance identifying —— identified injanuary as p1 with several mutations that make the virus more transmissible but that is not the only reason. brazil never really tried to contain the virus. never tested enough, never a big enough contact tracing and brazilians have been disregarding social distancing recommendations for a long time now. many of them stimulated by their own president. he was always against social distancing. he was very outspoken about this since the beginning saying that we could not afford checking down the economy. not only that, he always kept pushing untruth —— unproven treatment measures and some say even spreading fake music instead of focusing on a robust communication plan. so we gave plenty of room for the virus to spread and mutate and become more dangerous here. talking about texas where _ become more dangerous here. talking about texas where they _ become more dangerous here. talking about texas where they are _ become more dangerous here. talking about texas where they are eating - about texas where they are eating restrictions. what is the status of covid—19 restrictions in brazil? has covid-19 restrictions in brazil? as the covid—19 restrictions in brazil? sis the situation covid—19 restrictions in brazil? s the situation worsened, covid—19 restrictions in brazil? sis the situation worsened, different cities and states have tough and social distancing recommendations and restrictions but experts argue that it's been too little too late. for example in sao paulo where i am right now for the restrictions were announced today but experts say that it took too long for that government to act and cities and states governors and mayors have the prerogative to implement these measures but there are always very reticent to do it because they don't want to deal with the economic fallout nor the political burden because they do not have the back—up from the federal government so that is the current situation we are living in right now.— is the current situation we are living in right now. thank you for brinuain living in right now. thank you for bringing us _ living in right now. thank you for bringing us up-to-date. - here in the uk a major study is underway to determine the long term health effects of covid—19. scientists are scanning thousands of people to see how their organs may have been affected by the virus. here's our science correspondent rebecca morelle. searching for the after effects of covid. these scans are part of the world's biggest imaging study. shedding light on the long—term impact of infection. this is brian sheppard who is taking part in the research. the 71—year—old lives in gateshead with his wife. in november, he was taken to hospital with covid—19. when i got in the ambulance my wife standing on the pavement and... i thought that i see her again you know? after five days of treatment, he was allowed home but months later he still feeling the effects and helps the scans could explain why. we're all very proud to have taken part in it. and feel that's how it's a bit can help somewhere along the way for the rest of the world. the scans are being carried out by bio bank uk. it is a huge study that holds medical images and genetic data and health information on half a million people. now, it is imaging 1500 of these participants who have had coronavirus. they range from asymptomatic cases to those with long covid—19 who still little long after infection. having the standardised scans before and after infection and researchers will able to investigate the direct effects of coronavirus infection on changes in both the structure and the function of organs which is obviously what we all want to know.