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UK COVID-19 Update: 'Race' Between Virus and Vaccine, Third Wave Warning

These are the UK coronavirus stories you need to know about today.

Indian Variant of Concern

The Government announced plans to step up measures aimed at tackling the spread of the B.1.617.2 'Indian' variant of concern in England.

Additional surge testing, tracing, and isolation support measures were being deployed "at pace" across Bedford, Burnley, Hounslow, Kirklees, Leicester, and North Tyneside, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

The measures would be accompanied by an enhanced drive to vaccinate people in those areas.

Ministers said they were also providing support to the Scottish Government which was adopting similar measures to control the spread of variants in Glasgow and Moray.

Latest data on the B.1.617.2 variant showed the number of cases across the UK had risen to 2967 cases, up from 1313 reported on May 12.

Most cases remained predominantly in the North West of England, with some in London, the DHSC said.

Matt Hancock, England's Health Secretary, said: "We are determined to do all we can to ensure this new variant doesn’t put our recovery at risk.

"So, we've acted fast, to guard the gains that we've made together. We are putting in place more testing – more testing sites – and on vaccinations, we are making more vaccinations available to everyone who's eligible."

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Commons that there was increasing confidence that vaccines worked against the B.1.617.2 variant.

Mr Johnson's official spokesman said today it was "still too early" to determine whether the variant could delay lifting all COVID restrictions on June 21 but they were keeping "a very close eye on the data".

'Third Wave' Warning

The UK could be at the start of a third wave of COVID-19, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned.

Prof Andrew Hayward, an infectious diseases expert at University College London, told the BBC he was "very concerned" about the B.1.617.2 'Indian' variant of concern because of evidence it was highly transmissible.

He also urged the UK Government to not "waste the opportunity" offered by vaccination by allowing people to travel widely.

Asked on BBC Breakfast if the country was at the start of the third wave, he replied: "I think so."

Commenting on the variant to the Science Media Centre, Steven Riley, professor of infectious disease dynamics at Imperial College London, said the variant "gives the advantage back a little bit to the virus", and it was now "a race between vaccination and transmission of the virus".

He said that over the next two to three weeks, "we’re going to get a really clear signal of how we expect cases and hospitalisations to progress".

Meanwhile, Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation's regional director for Europe, said increased international travel in Europe could jeopardise the fall in cases of COVID and lead to "dangerous resurgences".

He told a news conference earlier that "in the face of a continued threat and new uncertainty, we need to continue to exercise caution, and rethink or avoid international travel.

The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said that UK travellers heading towards 'amber' list countries should "apply common sense" over whether their journey was justified. Asked whether the Government was sending mixed messages by allowing travel to countries on the amber list while advising against it, he told Sky News that it was down to personal responsibility.

Vaccine Booster Study

A clinical trial has been launched to assess the effects of giving a booster COVID vaccine.

The COV-Boost study, led by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, will trial seven vaccines. It will be the first in the world to provide data on the impact of a third dose on people's immune responses.

Vaccines being trialled are AstraZeneca/Oxford, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Valneva, Janssen, and Curevac.

The study, which will take place at sites in England, Scotland, and Wales will involve 2886 people. Vaccination of participants will begin in early June.

Vaccine boosters will be given at least 10 to 12 weeks after a second dose and could be a different brand to the one they were originally vaccinated with.

All participants will be monitored throughout the study for any side effects and will have blood samples taken to measure their immune responses at days 28, 84, 308, and 365.

Initial findings are expected in September. The results would inform the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on any booster vaccination programme this autumn, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

The study has been backed by £19.3 million of Government funding through the Vaccines Taskforce.

Professor Cheng-Hock Toh, academic vice president at the Royal College of Physicians, said: "We very much welcome the launch of this trial. Clinical research has been the secret to plotting a path out of the pandemic, and will be key to keeping it at bay in the coming months.

"The development of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 has saved countless lives, and work to evaluate the impact of a third booster dose is imperative."

Vaccine Rollout Continues in Younger Age Groups

More than a million people aged 34 and 35 in England are now eligible for their first dose of a COVID vaccine.

Texts inviting them to book a vaccination will be sent today and on Friday, NHS England said.

More than 1.5 million appointments were booked when the NHS opened up bookings to people in their 30s last week. Invitations sent to people aged 36 and 37 over the last two days led to 440,000 bookings.

People aged 39 and under who are eligible, and pregnant women, will be offered the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine in line with latest JCVI guidance.

Prof Stephen Powis national NHS medical director said: "The success of the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination programme, the biggest in history, is not by accident but down to careful planning and precision by NHS staff who have now delivered 48.5 million doses across England in less than six months."

Younger people in their 30s are expected to be invited over the next few days and weeks.

In Northern Ireland, vaccine invitations are being sent to people aged 25 to 29 from today.

Health Minister Robin Swann said: "I know there are some younger people that think they don't need the vaccine, but we have seen what this virus can do and with variants now in the mix we all need to protect ourselves and those around us."

Northern Ireland's Department of Health said vaccine supplies remained limited, with around 20,000 slots being released each week.

Over a million people in Northern Ireland – almost 70% of the adult population – have now received a first dose of a COVID vaccine.

Other COVID News

  • COVID-19 case rates in most regions of England remained broadly unchanged, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from Public Health England. It also reported vaccine uptake of 49.4% for a first dose, and 27.8% for a second dose up until May 9. A new analysis suggested that 2 doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine provided around 85% to 90% protection against symptomatic disease.
  • COVID-19 was the 9th leading cause of death in April in England, accounting for 2.4% of all deaths registered, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed. In Wales, COVID was the 18th leading cause of death, accounting for 1.4% of all deaths.
  • The RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial led by the University of Oxford received the David Sackett Trial of the Year Award by The Society for Clinical Trials. It said the trial was a "truly impressive" example of work in the face of the pandemic that combined "spectacular speed, efficiency, and pragmatism".
  • Prince William received his first COVID vaccine this week. The Duke of Cambridge was photographed receiving the vaccine by NHS staff at London's Science Museum on Tuesday.

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