billion last month — it reached the highest level for february since records began almost 30 years ago. a warning that poor oral health is still a significant problem in england — despite being largely preventable. and coming up this hour... a big day forjockey rachael blackmore — she's leading the way at the cheltenham festival, and could be the first woman to win the gold cup. our top story, this morning. the prime minister is due to receive the oxford astrazeneca vaccine today and has assured the public it is safe. it's after several leading european countries have confirmed they are to resume the rollout of the jab — following a pause over safety concerns. borisjohnson�*s urged people to get vaccinated and says england's roadmap out of lockdown is on track, despite a drop in vaccine supply. the roll—out of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine will resume in some eu countries today, after regulators found no evidence it causes blood clots. the european medicines agency reviewed the jab and found that it was "not associated" with a higher risk of clots. france, germany and italy, along with cyprus, latvia and lithuania, are to restart use of the jab today while spain, portugal and the netherlands will do so next week. but norway, sweden and denmark have said they won't use the astrazeneca vaccine while they conduct their own independent reviews. in france, 35,000 new coronavirus infections have been recorded in the past 2a hours, and the country fears a third wave of coronavirus. so from midnight tonight, 21 million people across 16 areas of the country, including paris, will be placed under a new month—long lockdown. more on the situation in the eu shortly, but first, here's our health correspondent katherine da costa. the oxford astrazeneca vaccine is safe and effective at preventing covid with no increased risk of blood clots. that's the consensus among regulators and a message the prime minister hopes will be heard around the world. today, the european medicines agency has come to a clear scientific conclusion, and i quote, "this is a safe and effective vaccine". so the oxford jab is safe and the pfizerjab is safe. the thing that isn't safe is catching covid, which is why it's so important that we all get ourjabs as soon as oui’ turn comes. the european medicines regulator carried out a thorough review looking at data from 20 million vaccinated people. it looked in particular at rare blood clots in the brain and found 18 cases, including five in the uk. there is no evidence of a link to the vaccine, but they will continue to monitor this condition and are advising people with a number of symptoms including a persistent headache or unusual bruising to seek medical advice. it's very unfortunate there was the pause, for two reasons. firstly, it loses time, and bearing in mind in the eu there are currently over 2000 deaths per day from covid, so this is a very pressing public health emergency. the second aspect is public confidence. will people now be willing to get their vaccine as quickly as possible, because that's the way that these successive waves are going to be stamped out. italy and france are among the first to announce they will resume using the astrazeneca vaccine, and it can't come soon enough. they are among several european countries experiencing a third wave in new infections with further lockdown measures being introduced. katharine da costa, bbc news. i'm joined now by professor david salisbury — former director of immunisation at the department of health, and associate fellow with the programme for global health at chatham house. good to have you with us this morning. i would like to get your thoughts first of all on some countries continue to press pause on the astrazeneca vaccine, norway, sweden and denmark, despite the european medicines agency saying it is not associated with a higher risk of blood clotting. i is not associated with a higher risk of blood clotting.— of blood clotting. i think the reviews from _ of blood clotting. i think the reviews from the _ of blood clotting. i think the reviews from the regulators| of blood clotting. i think the . reviews from the regulators are of blood clotting. i think the - reviews from the regulators are very clear, that having the vaccine does not put to you at higher risk of having these clotting episodes. and with that reassurance, i think you have to balance what is the harm that you may be doing by withholding the vaccine. at a time when people are continuing to die in very considerable numbers from coronavirus, i think you have to be very cognisant that you may be exposing people to a very considerable risk by withholding vaccination.— considerable risk by withholding vaccination. ., �* ., ~ ., vaccination. you're talking about obviously protecting _ vaccination. you're talking about obviously protecting yourself, i vaccination. you're talking about| obviously protecting yourself, but protecting wider society with the vaccination programme.- protecting wider society with the vaccination programme. well, you're not protecting _ vaccination programme. well, you're not protecting yourself _ vaccination programme. well, you're not protecting yourself from - not protecting yourself from something that appears not to be a significant, or indeed a measurable risk with the vaccine. i’m significant, or indeed a measurable risk with the vaccine.— risk with the vaccine. i'm talking about protecting _ risk with the vaccine. i'm talking about protecting yourself, - risk with the vaccine. i'm talking about protecting yourself, if- risk with the vaccine. i'm talking about protecting yourself, if you i risk with the vaccine. i'm talking i about protecting yourself, if you do get covered back, the risk of becoming seriously ill. if get covered back, the risk of becoming seriously ill. if you get the disease. _ becoming seriously ill. if you get the disease, particularly - becoming seriously ill. if you get the disease, particularly if - becoming seriously ill. if you get the disease, particularly if you i becoming seriously ill. if you get. the disease, particularly if you are in a risk group, your probability of getting very ill and dying is too high to ignore against a risk that we have seen is not associated with the vaccine. pare we have seen is not associated with the vaccine-— the vaccine. are you seeing a clear icture the vaccine. are you seeing a clear picture emerging. _ the vaccine. are you seeing a clear picture emerging, and _ the vaccine. are you seeing a clear picture emerging, and we - the vaccine. are you seeing a clear picture emerging, and we have - the vaccine. are you seeing a clear. picture emerging, and we have been talking a little bit, and we will be speaking soon about the situation in france in particular, are you seeing a clearer picture emerging in the levels of vaccinations in a country and the number of new cases emerging? in other words, and the number of new cases emerging? in otherwords, our vaccination programmes where they are well advanced having a noticeable impact?- are well advanced having a noticeable impact? are well advanced having a noticeable im act? ., ., , noticeable impact? one of the most arati in: noticeable impact? one of the most gratifying things _ noticeable impact? one of the most gratifying things about _ noticeable impact? one of the most gratifying things about running - noticeable impact? one of the most gratifying things about running a - gratifying things about running a vaccination campaign and getting high coverage quickly as you see an impact, and it's wonderful when you see cases go down as coverage is going up. i think we can take a great deal of reassurance from seeing the huge numbers being vaccinated in this country and cases, hospital admissions and deaths going down. and i would urge every other country that has the vaccine, for goodness' sake, use all the vaccine you've got. the government _ the vaccine you've got. the government has _ the vaccine you've got. the government has said - the vaccine you've got. the government has said the timetable for opening up here in the uk, here in england, won't shift and obviously in other nations the timetables have been set out as well. do you think the government can achieve its aim of vaccinating all adults by the end ofjuly in order to match that ambition? you have to have _ order to match that ambition? gm, have to have three things for success in the vaccine campaign. you have to have vaccine supply, people to do the vaccinating and people to be vaccinated, and achieve all three of those in the same place at the same time, and you have success. the highest risk of all of those is vaccine supply. if indeed we do maintain our supplies through the next few months ahead of us then i think we should be optimistic that we will achieve the goals that have been set. imilli we will achieve the goals that have been set. ~ , ., ., ., been set. will there be a good enou:h been set. will there be a good enough snooty _ been set. will there be a good enough supply of— been set. will there be a good enough supply of vaccine? - been set. will there be a good enough supply of vaccine? we| been set. will there be a good - enough supply of vaccine? we are just seeing a line coming from the german health minister saying there is not enough vaccine in europe to stop the third wave alone. do you think, if we look at the uk, that there will be a steady enough supply of vaccines. 0bviously there will be a steady enough supply of vaccines. obviously there have been threats of export bans on some vaccines. but is there going to be enough to continue with the vaccination programme to stop a third wave here? ilil" vaccination programme to stop a third wave here?— vaccination programme to stop a third wave here? our position is a bit different, _ third wave here? our position is a bit different, insofar _ third wave here? our position is a bit different, insofar as _ third wave here? our position is a bit different, insofar as we - third wave here? our position is a bit different, insofar as we have l bit different, insofar as we have already vaccinated so many more people in this country than has been achieved in other european countries. so we are not really in the same place. we have got a huge proportion of our at—risk population protected now. so if supplies are maintained and there are prospects of additional producers coming on stream, so if our supplies are maintained and we maintain the uptake of vaccine, particularly in the younger lower risk groups, then i think we should be optimistic. but i think we should be optimistic. but i am not discounting the possibility of additional waves of this virus or its variants later in the year, and we have to remain on guard for that to happen. we have to remain on guard for that to ha -en. ., , we have to remain on guard for that to ha en. ., , to happen. professor david salisbury. _ to happen. professor david salisbury, good _ to happen. professor david salisbury, good to - to happen. professor david salisbury, good to talk- to happen. professor david salisbury, good to talk to l to happen. professor david i salisbury, good to talk to you to happen. professor david - salisbury, good to talk to you and thank you for your time. as you've been hearing several european countries, including germany, france and italy will resume using the oxford astrazeneca vaccine, after regulators found no evidence it causes blood clots. 0ur europe correspondent nick beake is in brussels. good morning. let's begin with that very concerning line coming from the german health minister saying there is not enough vaccine in europe to stop the third wave alone because we are seeing, if we skip over to france, signs of a third wave there, although politically politicians there are not keen to describe it as that. ,., ., there are not keen to describe it as that. , ., ., ., there are not keen to describe it as that. h, ., ., 4' there are not keen to describe it as that. ., ,, ., �*, there are not keen to describe it as that. ., ~ ., �*, ., that. good morning. i think that's a ve stark that. good morning. i think that's a very stark and _ that. good morning. i think that's a very stark and worrying _ that. good morning. i think that's a very stark and worrying warning - very stark and worrying warning coming from germany this morning, the fact they believe there are not enough vaccine is on the continent. it's a combination of factors, some really worrying factors. you mention france. tonight, paris and 15 other regions of the country will be put into much stricter lockdown measures because the number of people in intensive care in paris is higher than during the second wave back in november, so france is a concern. germany are clearly worried as well. central and eastern europe, rising cases. i havejust looked at central and eastern europe, rising cases. i have just looked at the latest cases for poland, a 30% rise in new cases in the past week. alongside this picture of the graphs going the wrong way with the number of cases going up, there are problems with vaccines and we know they haven't been getting the vaccine from britain, from astrazeneca, that they wanted. the european commission talking about a 100 million fewer doses coming to the eu in the three months from april, so it's really a pretty bleak picture, i'm afraid. if april, so it's really a pretty bleak picture, i'm afraid.— picture, i'm afraid. if we look at the stats. _ picture, i'm afraid. if we look at the stats. per — picture, i'm afraid. if we look at the stats, per 100 _ picture, i'm afraid. if we look at the stats, per 100 of— picture, i'm afraid. if we look at the stats, per 100 of the - the stats, per 100 of the population, the uk has vaccinated almost a0. belgium, france, germany, all at 11 per 100 of the population or under, so it's a significant gap. does this all increase the potential of export bans coming from the eu to the uk? iii of export bans coming from the eu to the uk? , ., of export bans coming from the eu to the uk? _, g, ., ~ g, a, the uk? if you look at all the factors involved, _ the uk? if you look at all the factors involved, ursula - the uk? if you look at all the factors involved, ursula vonl the uk? if you look at all the i factors involved, ursula von der leyen, the head of the european commission, said this week that all options were available to the eu, so by now people assume she meant an export ban. they won't like me calling it that, but that's what it's expected to be, restricting supplies, particularly the pfizer jab, made here in belgium, going towards the united kingdom. so you have the prospect of a disruption in the supply chain. all the while you have millions of vaccines across europe, some reports of 7 million vaccines of the astrazeneca jab, that are not being used because of a combination of factors. people are reluctant to take it and we know there has been a pause in the use of it. in places like france, germany and italy they will roll it out once again today. the french buy minister will be among those taking it. possibly prime minister mario draghi of italy will take it. this is to try to sway a sceptical public, but they are playing catch up. we have heard some scientists say in the last couple of days that this potentially, this loan, this pause in the roll—out of the astrazeneca vaccine could lead to the deaths of thousands of more people. —— this lull. thousands of more people. -- this lull. ._ thousands of more people. -- this tuu, a , thousands of more people. -- this lull. . _, lull. playing catch up and notwithstanding - lull. playing catch up and notwithstanding supply l lull. playing catch up and i notwithstanding supply issues, lull. playing catch up and _ notwithstanding supply issues, how much does vaccine hesitancy among the general population have to play at this point? i the general population have to play at this point?— at this point? i think it's a pretty crucial factor. _ at this point? i think it's a pretty crucial factor. france _ at this point? i think it's a pretty crucial factor. france is - at this point? i think it's a pretty i crucial factor. france is somewhere crucialfactor. france is somewhere where they are known for being pretty hesitant when it comes to taking some vaccines. here in belgium, i was at the biggest centre for giving out the vaccine a couple of days ago and we met some doctors and nurses there and they were not willing to take it, and these are scientific experts, it's what they do, and they say, yes, we know we have heard the regulator say there is no risk and this vaccine should be taken, but look at the swirl of this information and concern. going back to france, the prime minister may well be taking the astrazeneca vaccine today, but people in france are not daft. a few months ago, their president, emmanuel macron, mused openly that there astrazeneca vaccine may be quasi—ineffective, and it may not work in the older population. that's an assessment that the regulator in europe has never shared, that the regulator in europe has nevershared, it that the regulator in europe has never shared, it makes an impression on people and sticks in their minds. thank you, nick beake in brussels. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, is facing calls to resign, because a committee of msps concluded she misled them in their inquiry into the handling of harrassment claims against her predecessor, alex salmond. it's understood they voted five to four that she gave them an inaccurate account when she answered their questions two weeks ago. the first minister says she stands by what she said. 0ur political correspondent nick eardley has this report. i solemnly, sincerely and truly declare... this is nicola sturgeon two weeks ago. giving evidence to the scottish parliament about how her government handled allegations of sexual harassment against alex salmond. it was a mammoth session, eight hours in total. but the committee has decided she misled them in the process. in a meeting last night, a narrow majority of the committee, five to four, made the decision. their full report will be published next week but opposition parties say ms sturgeon can no longer be trusted. it's absolutely, abundantly clear that nicola sturgeon has breached the ministerial code. as first minister, you cannot continue if you have been untruthful, if you have misled parliament, and you've misled the people of scotland. it is a resigning matter, pure and simple. the first minister has always denied misleading msps and last night, she stood by her evidence. she said... this committee has unfortunately experienced an awful lot of leaking and information coming out in ways that are neither helpful nor necessarily accurate. i think that this is more of the challenge that we see again here, and i will be waiting to hear from the actual report. in under a week, the scottish parliament will break up for the election. the coming days will be dominated by questions over whether ms sturgeon misled parliament. the election campaign may well be too. nick eardley, bbc news, glasgow. let's get more from our political correspondent, nick eardley. lots of questions about this so what happens next? i lots of questions about this so what happens next?— happens next? i think the pressure on nicola sturgeon _ happens next? i think the pressure on nicola sturgeon this _ happens next? i think the pressure on nicola sturgeon this morning i happens next? i think the pressure on nicola sturgeon this morning is| on nicola sturgeon this morning is significant. there are calls from the scottish conservatives, as you heard in the peace there, for her to resign. they have been making that call for a couple of weeks now. we have heard from the labour leader sir keir starmer saying this mo