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There are enough Pfizer and Moderna doses for under-30s, says health secretary

HEALTH SECRETARY Matt Hancock assured the British public to remain confident that the system to monitor Covid-19 vaccines is working following changes were made to the giving of Oxford-AstraZeneca shots to young people.

"People can be reassured that we have the high class safety system run by our world class regulator and then we're totally transparent with all of the side effects, no matter how extremely rare they are like these ones," he told Sky News on Thursday (8).


Britain's vaccine advisory committee said on Wednesday (7) that an alternative to Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine should be given to under-30s where possible due to a "vanishingly" rare side effect of blood clots in the brain.

Hancock said new guidance would not delay Britain's vaccination programme because alternatives from Pfizer and Moderna would be available.

Britain is aiming to give a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine all over-50s by mid-April and all adults by the end of July.

Hancock said there were 10.16 million people aged between 18 to 29, of whom 1.6 million had already had a first dose of vaccine.

"We have more than enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to cover all of the remaining eight and a half million people," he said.

"We are on track to hit the target that we've set that we will ensure every adult in the UK is offered the jab by the end of July."

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11th UK Gatka Championship

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11th UK Gatka Championship ends with Welsh debut and £1,000 support for Gatka Akharas

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  • The 11th UK National Gatka Championship was hosted near Cardiff, marking the first time in Wales.
  • Winners included Roop Kaur (girls), Navjot Singh (boys), and Gurdeep Singh (men’s).
  • Gatka Federation UK awarded £1,000 to each participating Akhara to support martial arts promotion.
  • Chief guests included MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the World Gatka Federation.

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The 11th UK National Gatka Championship concluded on a high note near Cardiff, Wales, showcasing the traditional Sikh martial art with flair. Seven leading Gatka Akharas participated, thrilling spectators with their lightning-fast strikes, precision moves and elegant techniques.

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