Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

UK approves Covid jab for under-12s as new daily cases top 100,000

UK approves Covid jab for under-12s as new daily cases top 100,000

BRITISH regulators on Wednesday (22) approved Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for use in children aged five to 11, as the country reported more than 100,000 new daily cases for the first time as Omicron surged.

The developments came after the government said it was cutting the isolation period required for positive cases while Wales and Northern Ireland followed Scotland in unveiling new post-Christmas curbs, primarily around hospitality and large events.

Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had approved a new lower-dose formulation of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot after finding it was "safe and effective" for children aged five to 11.

MHRA chief executive June Raine said there was "robust evidence to support a positive benefit risk for children in this age group".


EXCLUSIVE: As Omicron surge continues doctors’ leaders warn…NHS ON BRINK OF COLLAPSE


The "overwhelming majority" of reported side-effects from the two-shot "age-appropriate" jab related to mild symptoms, such as a sore arm or a flu-like illness, she added.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises UK health departments on immunisation, said it was now recommending a primary course of the vaccination be offered to some within the age group.

Britain is in the midst of a stepped-up booster campaign, as it tries to minimise the impact of weeks of rising Omicron infections.

On Wednesday (22) the country surpassed 30 million third doses administered as it aims to offer the additional jab to all adults before the end of the year.

Record infections

The variant is now the dominant strain of the virus across the UK - already one of the hardest hit in Europe, with a death toll of nearly 148,000 - as daily cases reach record levels.

It announced 106,122 new infections on Wednesday, the highest figure since mass testing began in the summer of last year.

Earlier, the government said people who have tested positive can stop self-isolating after seven days instead of 10 if they have taken two negative lateral flow tests.

Amid the skyrocketing case numbers, it could potentially allow many more to join family Christmas celebrations.

Hours later, devolved governments in Cardiff and Belfast announced new curbs from December 26 - leaving just England with no imminent restrictions unveiled.

In Wales, socialising in pubs, cinemas and restaurants will be limited to groups of six people or less, while mandatory table service and providing contract tracing details will return.

In Northern Ireland, nightclubs will have to close at 8 pm, alongside guidance to limit contacts with different households.

It follows Scotland announcing renewed rules there Tuesday (21), which also come into force on December 26 for at least three weeks, and cap attendance at outdoor events at 500.

The move means the pandemic has forced the cancellation of Edinburgh's hugely popular New Year's Eve street party for the second successive year.

Antiviral drugs deal

However, UK prime minister Boris Johnson has resisted calls to impose stricter rules in England over Christmas.

The embattled leader, reeling from weeks of scandals and setbacks - plus growing discontent in his own party - has said he wants more evidence on Omicron's severity and ability to evade vaccines.

Meanwhile his government has signed deals to buy more than 4 million courses of two new antiviral drugs - Pfizer's ritonavir and US rival Merck/MSD's molnupiravir - to treat Covid-19.

Molnupiravir, sold as Lagevrio, is part of a national trial run by the University of Oxford that people can join if they have virus symptoms.

Britain was the first country in the world to approve it last month and the authorities will make it available to those at high risk of severe illness, such as people with cancer.

Pfizer's pill, marketed as Paxlovid, has yet to be authorised anywhere in the world.

The company said Tuesday that clinical trials showed it reduced hospital admissions and deaths among at-risk people by almost 90 percent, when taken a few days after symptoms began.

(AFP)

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less