Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK doctors call for shorter gap between Pfizer vaccine doses

A group of British doctors have written to England's chief medical officer to tell him to cut the gap between doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to six weeks from up to 12.

Britain is prioritising giving first doses of Covid-19 vaccine, allowing up to 12 weeks before a second dose, to give the maximum number of people some initial protection.


But Pfizer and BioNTech have warned they have no evidence their vaccine would continue to be protective if the second dose is given more than 21 days after the first.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said in a statement emailed on Saturday(23) that it has written to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England Chris Whitty.

The BMA said it supports giving a second dose up to 42 days after the first dose, but that a longer gap is not in line with World Health Organization guidance.

It therefore urged the CMO to "urgently review the UK's current position of second doses after 12 weeks".

"The UK’s strategy has become increasingly isolated from many other countries," the BMA said.

"BMA members are also concerned that, given the unpredictability of supplies, there may not be any guarantees that second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be available in 12 weeks’ time."

Whitty told a media conference on Friday(22) that the longer gap between doses was a "public health decision" aimed at vaccinating many more people and based on a belief that the great majority of protection comes from the first jab.

Britain is using two vaccines, one from Pfizer and the other from AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca has supported the gap between its jabs, saying data showed an 8-12 week gap was a "sweet spot" for efficacy.

The Department of Health and Social Care said in an emailed statement that its priority was to protect as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

"The decision...to change vaccine dosage intervals followed a thorough review of the data and was in line with the recommendations of the UK’s four chief medical officers," a DHSC spokeswoman said.

Some 5.38 million people have been given a first dose of vaccine in the UK, government data showed.

More For You

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

We are living faster than ever before

AMG

​Dilemmas of dating in a digital world

Shiveena Haque

Finding romance today feels like trying to align stars in a night sky that refuses to stay still

When was the last time you stumbled into a conversation that made your heart skip? Or exchanged a sweet beginning to a love story - organically, without the buffer of screens, swipes, or curated profiles? In 2025, those moments feel rarer, swallowed up by the quickening pace of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
sugary drinks and ice cream

Researchers from the UK and US analysed data from American households between 2004 and 2019

iStock

Global warming may drive higher consumption of sugary drinks and ice cream, study warns

Highlights:

  • Hotter days linked to greater intake of sugary drinks and frozen desserts
  • Lower-income households most affected, research finds
  • Climate change could worsen health risks linked to sugar consumption
  • Study based on 15 years of US household food purchasing data

Sugary consumption rising with heat

People are more likely to consume sugary drinks and ice cream on warmer days, particularly in lower-income households, according to new research. The study warns that climate change could intensify this trend, adding to health risks as global temperatures continue to rise.

Sugar consumption is a major contributor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and has surged worldwide in recent decades. The findings, published in Nature Climate Change, suggest that rising heat could be nudging more people towards high-sugar products such as soda, juice and ice cream.

Keep ReadingShow less
Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates
vegetables from sides to stars

Camellia Panjabi (Photo: Ursula Sierek)

Camellia Panjabi's cookbook elevates vegetables from sides to stars

RESTAURATEUR and writer Camellia Panjabi puts the spotlight on vegetables in her new book, as she said they were never given the status of a “hero” in the way fish, chicken or prawns are.

Panjabi’s Vegetables: The Indian Way features more than 120 recipes, with notes on nutrition, Ayurvedic insights and cooking methods that support digestion.

Keep ReadingShow less
Spotting the signs of dementia

Priya Mulji with her father

Spotting the signs of dementia

How noticing the changes in my father taught me the importance of early action, patience, and love

I don’t understand people who don’t talk or see their parents often. Unless they have done something to ruin your lives or you had a traumatic childhood, there is no reason you shouldn’t be checking in with them at least every few days if you don’t live with them.

Keep ReadingShow less
HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

HH Guruji performed the Dhwaja Ritual at Ambaji Temple

Mahesh Liloriya

The holy town of Ambaji witnessed a spiritually significant day on Sunday as His Holiness Siri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, London, performed the Dhwaja ritual at the historic Ambaji Temple in Gujarat, one of the most revered Shakti Peeths of India.

Keep ReadingShow less