Covid: Urgent call to update vaccines to target variants as cases rise to near-record levels - The Independent

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Original source: The Independent
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Published: Jul 3rd, 2022
Covid: Urgent call to update vaccines to target variants as cases rise to near-record levels - The Independent

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a “vote of no confidence” over his leadership but has lost over forty percent of support from his MP’s following the vote at parliament EPA UK news in pictures 6 June 2022 Gannets gathered at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, as over 250,000 seabirds flock to the chalk cliffs to find a mate and raise their young.
From April to August the cliffs come alive with nest-building adults and young chicks PA UK news in pictures 5 June 2022 Performers take part in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant Reuters UK news in pictures 4 June 2022 Past and present jockeys who have ridden Queen Elizabeth II’s horses line up dressed in her colours on Derby Day Reuters UK news in pictures 3 June 2022 Prince Harry makes a face as he waits for the start of the National Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign at Saint Paul’s Cathedral AFP/ Getty UK news in pictures 2 June 2022 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II stands on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace bas the troops march past during the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 June 2022 Gardeners David Kay and Lou Singfield tend to the wildflower meadow which has burst into flower at King's College in Cambridge PA UK news in pictures 31 May 2022 Sir Sean Connery's Aston Martin DB5 which is expected to fetch up to £1.

Covid: Urgent call to update vaccines to target variants as cases rise to near-record levels - The Independent

Covid vaccines must be urgently updated to target new variants as infection rates in the UK soar to near-record levels, leading scientists have warned. An average of 285,507 people are being infected with the virus each day in the UK, according to the latest data from the ZOE Covid Study. Its lead scientist Professor Tim Spector said cases were soon expected to exceed the 300,000 mark, “bringing us to levels seen during the height of the pandemic for the UK”. With the country now in its fifth wave, and hospital admissions once again on the rise, scientists argue a new vaccine specific to Omicron could offer better protection against future variants, helping keep people out of hospital and reduce cases. Professor John Edmunds, a leading epidemiologist and member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the results of a recent study looking at a two-in-one vaccine specific to the original Covid virus and Omicron variant were “encouraging”. Protection against infection and hospitalisation from Omicron wanes within a matter of months after a third dose. After a booster jab, effectiveness in preventing admission to hospital drops from 91.6 per cent to 72.5 per cent over 10 weeks, according to government analysis. Fourth doses are already being rolled out to certain groups, including the elderly, with another booster set to be offered in the autumn — but experts believe it is time to update the vaccines in the hope of offering broader and longer-lasting protection against the variants. Data published last week by Moderna showed that its ‘bivalent’ jab offers good protection against Omicron that lasts longer than the original vaccine. It also increases immunity against the Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5, which are driving the current surge in UK cases. “I do think that the use of a vaccine that offers broader protection (as a bivalent vaccine should do) is the way forward,” said Prof Edmunds. “I think that there is a case for it.” Professor David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Virus Research, said an updated vaccine booster specific to Omicron should be made available for all. “Omicron (particularly BA.5) is clearly more than able to infect vaccinated people, and continues to evolve unpredictably, so protecting people from it and future variants is the logical thing to do. “It seems sensible to give it [an updated vaccine] to everybody. If we end up with these new variants infecting lots of people, then you get lots of sick people — it just seems a no brainer to vaccinate people.” Recent data from Japan suggests that BA.4. and BA.5, which are more transmissible than the original Omicron variant, could also be capable of causing more severe infections — though hospitalisations have yet to reach the heights seen in previous waves, pointing to the persistently high immunity levels in the UK. Nonetheless, said Prof Robertson, “even if [the two sub-variants] are only slightly worse, this could be a problem if there’s large number of infections occurring, particularly for the more vulnerable groups”. The ZOE Covid Study estimates that case rates in the UK “will continue to rise for the next week or so” — fuelled by the spread of BA.5 and the festival season, which is bringing together hundreds of thousands of people in close proximity. Prof Spector said daily infections could even run close to 350,000 — an estimated record for the pandemic that was reached in late March 2022. Separate data from the UK Health Security Agency shows a rise in Covid case rates among all age groups and regions in England, with increases most acute in those aged over 80. Admissions to intensive care are also climbing in the elderly, and more outbreaks now being reported in care homes, UKHSA said. Around one in six people aged 75 and over have not received a vaccine dose within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease, the health agency warned. In total, some 8,928 hospital patients in England had Covid-19 on June 30, up 39 per cent on the previous week, data show. This is just over half the level of patients recorded at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave. UKHSA chief executive, Dame Jenny Harries, on Sunday warned hospital cases are expected to rise further and raised concerns about the NHS’ ability to treat other illnesses as a result. She told the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme: “It doesn’t look as though that wave has finished yet, so we would anticipate that hospital cases will rise. And it’s possible, quite likely, that they will actually peak over the previous BA.2 wave.” “Whilst we have an armament now of vaccines and antiviral treatments, we do have, as you’ve just highlighted, a rise in hospital admissions and occupancy,” she said. “And that means it’s not just Covid that we’re concerned about, but it’s actually our ability to treat other illnesses as well.” UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 2 July 2022 Pride parade in London Getty UK news in pictures 1 July 2022 Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange protest outside the Home Office in London to mark his birthday. PA UK news in pictures 30 June 2022 The Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, and The Princess Royal after attending the Order of the Thistle Service for the installation of The Right Honourable Dame Elish Angiolini and The Right Honourable Sir George Reid, at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 29 June 2022 Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labour party, speaks during PMQs UK Parliament/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 28 June 2022 Rafael Nadal attempts to reach the ball during his first round Wimbledon match against Francisco Cerundolo Reuters UK news in pictures 27 June 2022 The cleaning up begins after the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm EPA UK news in pictures 25 June 2022 Paul McCartney, from left, Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen perform at Glastonbury Festival in Worthy Farm, Somerset Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP UK news in pictures 24 June 2022 The crowd watching Wet Leg performing on the Park Stage during the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset PA UK news in pictures 23 June 2022 An aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival site James Dadzitis/SWNS UK news in pictures 22 June 2022 Festivalgoers on the first day of Glastonbury Festival EPA UK news in pictures 21 June 2022 A general view of an empty platform at Paddington Station in London, as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions PA UK news in pictures 20 June 2022 Handout photo issued by the Big Issue of the Duke of Cambridge selling the Big Issue in London PA UK news in pictures 19 June 2022 Visitors explore the Arboria II luminaria, created by Architects of Air, during the Meliora Festival at the Beacon Arts Centre in Inverclyde. Arboria II is inspired by the geometry of nature and also Islamic architecture and features winding passages of small domes with light and colours created purely by daylight shining through the coloured plastic structure PA UK news in pictures 18 June 2022 Demonstrators march in a trades union organised protest opposed to British government policies at Parliament Square in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 17 June 2022 Crowds on Bournemouth beach during a heatwave Getty UK news in pictures 16 June 2022 Paige Dawson, 28, takes a selfie with her baby bump in a huge field of poppies in flower in Bramford, Suffolk PA UK news in pictures 15 June 2022 The royal procession arrives into the parade ring ahead of racing on day two of Royal Ascot PA UK news in pictures 14 June 2022 Flowers and tributes left outside of Grenfell Tower on the fifth anniversary of the fire that killed 72 people AP UK news in pictures 13 June 2022 Protestors demonstrate outside the Home Office building against the governments plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda Reuters UK news in pictures 12 June 2022 Members of the 2nd Battalion the Scots Guards, march through the streets of Blackpool, Lancashire to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War PA UK news in pictures 11 June 2022 Members of the public attend the Royal Windsor Flower Show at the York Club in Windsor Great Park PA UK news in pictures 10 June 2022 Pupils with Petty Officer Tommy O'Toole from the Royal Navy with the world's first mobile luge ramp, designed and manufactured by engineering students at Glasgow Caledonian University with the help of pupils from six Renfrewshire primary schools PA UK news in pictures 9 June 2022 A traveller rides a horse in the River Eden at the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of gypsies and travellers in Appleby, Cumbria PA UK news in pictures 8 June 2022 An activist from Extinction Rebellion holds a dog wearing a construction helmet as they attend a protest during a biodiversity conference being held at Dublin Castle, calling for legal protection for Ireland’s wildlife Reuters UK news in pictures 7 June 2022 Downing Street staff take down Jubilee bunting outside 10 Downing Street in London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a “vote of no confidence” over his leadership but has lost over forty percent of support from his MP’s following the vote at parliament EPA UK news in pictures 6 June 2022 Gannets gathered at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire, as over 250,000 seabirds flock to the chalk cliffs to find a mate and raise their young. From April to August the cliffs come alive with nest-building adults and young chicks PA UK news in pictures 5 June 2022 Performers take part in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant Reuters UK news in pictures 4 June 2022 Past and present jockeys who have ridden Queen Elizabeth II’s horses line up dressed in her colours on Derby Day Reuters UK news in pictures 3 June 2022 Prince Harry makes a face as he waits for the start of the National Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign at Saint Paul’s Cathedral AFP/ Getty UK news in pictures 2 June 2022 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II stands on the Balcony of Buckingham Palace bas the troops march past during the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 June 2022 Gardeners David Kay and Lou Singfield tend to the wildflower meadow which has burst into flower at King's College in Cambridge PA UK news in pictures 31 May 2022 Sir Sean Connery's Aston Martin DB5 which is expected to fetch up to £1.4 million at auction. The family of the James Bond actor, who died in October 2020 aged 90, is selling the 1964 classic car to raise money for a philanthropy fund set up in his name PA UK news in pictures 30 May 2022 Corgi Charles and friends enjoy a spot of tea during The Jubilee Tea Pawty at award winning doggy day care, Bruce’s Ben Stevens/PinPep UK news in pictures 29 May 2022 Nottingham Forest’s Cafu celebrates after winning the Championship Play-Off Final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 28 May 2022 Balloons light up as they are tethered to the ground during the night glow at the Isle of Wight Balloon Festival at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight PA UK news in pictures 27 May 2022 A crow chases an urban fox, who has dug up a bird carcass, outside the Old Bailey, central London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2022 Pedestrians walk past a 'Living Wall' art project, produced in collaboration with The National Portrait Galler and the Earls Court Development Company, in west London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 25 May 2022 Guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2022 People walk past the Liverpool Street station sign along the Elizabeth Line on its first day of service as it joins the London Underground network in London, Britain EPA UK news in pictures 23 May 2022 A young child amongst group of people thought to be migrants is carried by a member of the military as they are brought in to Dover, Kent PA UK news in pictures 22 May 2022 Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League trophy after their side finished the season as Premier League champions during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa Getty Images UK news in pictures 21 May 2022 France's Thibault Laly during day one of the Mercedes-Benz UCI MTB World Cup event in Fort William PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2022 Chef Jamie Oliver takes part in the ‘What an Eton Mess’ demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to reconsider his U-turn on the Government’s anti-obesity strategy PA UK news in pictures 19 May 2022 Sculpture conservator Marisa Prandelli adjusts a display of heads of ‘Cybermen’ in the monster vault at the ‘Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder’ exhibition which opens at the World Museum later this month in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 18 May 2022 People cross Regent Street, decorated with flags to mark the upcoming platinum jubilee , to mark the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II AP UK news in pictures 17 May 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on a Elizabeth Line train at Paddington station in London PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2022 Protesters from Border Communities Against Brexit outside Hillsborough Castle during a visit by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Northern Ireland for talks with Stormont parties PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2022 Queen Elizabeth II departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 May 2022 Heat haze softens the scene as a paraglider takes to the sky over the cliffs above Boscombe beach in Dorset PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2022 Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her husband Richard and daughter Gabriella as they leave 10 Downing Street, after a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson PA Aris Katzourakis, a professor of evolution and genomics at the University of Oxford, said the ever-increasing infection levels would only help to further drive the continuing evolution of the Covid virus. “Moreover, over time, circulating variants will become more and more distant from the original strain that is used in our vaccines,” he said. “Thus, unless our vaccines are updated, there may come a point where protection against severe disease is further diminished.” Professor Kei Sato, a virologist at the University of Tokyo whose research showed that the BA.4 and BA.5 could cause more serious infections than the original Omicron variant, said it “might be the time” to start rolling out updated vaccines. However, he warned, there could be a sudden and unexpected shift in the genetic make-up of the virus — akin to the stark jump that was seen between the Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants — which could undermine the effectiveness of any new vaccine. Not all are convinced that the vaccines should be updated, while others are unsure how they should be altered. Professor Deenan Pillay, a virologist a University College London, said “we need to see what immunity updated vaccines confer”. More data is expected from Moderna as it studies the effectiveness of its bivalent vaccine. This will demonstrate how it fares in reducing hospitalisations and case rates. These will likely be reviewed by the government’s vaccine watchdog as it plans for the autumn booster programme. Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, said an “additional benefit” of the new Moderna jab was “that it focused on core [viral] elements that had been common between the original and Omicron variants, and therefore is more likely to protect us against future variants.”
The Original Article can be found on The Independent

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