Boris Johnson’s plan to capture a major milestone in the fight against Covid-19 – when 15 million people were admitted – was dropped today because a leading scientist is behind the vaccine developed that the UK has not again failed early warnings about the virus.
The Prime Minister has made it clear he is confident of meeting the 15 million target by Monday, an achievement he hopes will be a turning point for a government that has been plagued by months of criticism for its grim early response. for pandemic.
The latest Opinium poll for the Spectator shows that 62% of people now approve of the distribution of the vaccine, and 45% cite the management of the vaccine program as the best side treated by the government.
It is only the second time since last May that more people think the government is working proportionately (39%) to the crisis than they think they are not responding (38% ). A month ago, 30% of the public thought the government was working proportionately compared to half (51%) who thought it was not responding.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have led a five-point lead over Labor, having been neck and neck just a few weeks ago.
Speaking at a visit to the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies center in Billingham, Teesside, Johnson said when asked about achieving the target: “I am hopeful, I will not hide you. I am optimistic but we need to be careful. “Ministers are also beginning to draw up plans to phase in the lockout within a few weeks.
Explaining the government’s priorities, Johnson said: “The education of our children is our top priority, but then to work ahead, also get unnecessary open sales and then, over time, as we can do it carefully and cautiously, of course. we want to open hospitality as well.
“I try to explain what I can as accurately as I can, always realizing that we need to be careful about the pattern of the disease.
“We do not want to be taken for granted in any way,” said the Prime Minister.
But in an exclusive interview with the Spectator Professor Sarah Gilbert, from the Oxford vaccine center, said she led the team behind the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, although it is “very heartening to see the NHS receiving this vaccine to such an extent. people ”lessons have not been learned far too late, and in some way still unlearned.
“For example,” she said, “we are still talking about the dangers of airborne viruses in quarantine hotels. Mers since South Korea began in 2015 are known to have released coronaviruses through the air.
“And yes, this particular virus did not come out of nowhere. But we also know for a long time that disease X, as the WHO would call it, was going to appear at some point and start spreading. We have been warned. But again we were not ready. ”
Gilbert also questioned the time it took to build the UK Vaccine Manufacturing Innovation Center in Oxfordshire. Backed by £ 158m of government funding, Britain is set to be given security of vaccine production when the plant is ready by the end of the year.
“It’s wonderful that we’re getting the center, but it won’t be ready until the end of 2021,” she said. “It would have been better if it had been established in 2020. It is going to help us in the future, but there was not enough pressure on getting ready quickly. ”
It was announced yesterday that the UK had recorded a further 621 deaths within 28 days of the Covid-19 positive test, compared to 828 deaths reported a week ago. In addition, 13,308 new cases were registered yesterday, down from Friday’s figure of 15,144.
Meanwhile, 544,603 doses of vaccine were given on Friday, health officials said, bringing the NHS very close to their February 15 target of protecting the estimated 15 million people in the UK who are at risk from the disease. These include those over 70, health care workers and people considered a clinical risk.
As it approaches the 15 million target, the NHS has also announced that it will start vaccinating people aged 65 to 69 and those who are clinically vulnerable against Covid from tomorrow. More than a million letters landed on the doorstep yesterday asking people to log on to the national registration service at nhs.uk/covid-vaccination to reserve an injection. A further 1.2 million letters will be submitted later in the week.
It has also been announced that the efficacy of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is to be tested in children in a new clinical trial. Researchers will use 300 volunteers to find out if the injection will elicit a strong immune response in children between the ages of six and 17 years.
UK vaccine figures
Rinn Song, a pediatrician and clinician-clinician at Oxford Vaccination Group, said: “Covid-19 pandemic disease has had a devastating impact on the education, social development and emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents, beyond illness and demonstrations. very serious disease.
“It is therefore important to collect data on the safety and immune response to the coronavirus vaccine in these age groups, so that they can benefit from the imminent introduction of immunization programs. ”
The Prime Minister has announced that he will use the first meeting of leaders of the UK G7 leadership on Friday to discuss how the world’s major democracies can work together to ensure the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines throughout the world. world, prevent future pandemics and better recovery from coronavirus.