Masks may be needed till next year despite vaccine
The public may have to wear masks for another year, despite a ‘‘watershed moment’’ beginning Britain’s national vaccination programme, Sir Patrick Vallance has said. As hospitals across the country began administering jabs to the most vulnerable, the Chief Scientific Adviser suggested that restrictions may remain in place long after its full rollout.
On Tuesday, local time, there were scenes of jubilation across the country, as the programme got under way.
Margaret Keenan, a grandmother who turns 91 next week, was the first person in the world to receive a jab outside of clinical trials, proclaiming it the ‘‘best early birthday present’’.
Next week, the NHS will expand its vaccination programme, with the Pfizer jabs rolled out beyond 70 hospitals to around 300 GP hubs, targeting those aged 80 and over. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said he hoped ‘‘several million’’ people would be vaccinated by Christmas.
But the joy was tempered by warnings from ministers that those who received the vaccine
should not be able to expect extra freedoms – such as to hug a grandchild.
And Sir Patrick went further, suggesting the public may be expected to wear masks until next winter because of a lack of evidence to show whether the vaccines prevent transmission, as well as stopping the virus taking hold.
Meanwhile, there were fears that a vaccine developed by Oxford
University and AstraZeneca may not be as useful as was first thought. Scientists said detailed data published in The Lancet yesterday showed more research was needed to demonstrate that it could protect the elderly. Three weeks ago, researchers announced it had efficacy rates of 90 per cent among those given a half dose, followed by a full dose several weeks later.
However, among those who received two full doses, efficacy was just 62 per cent, compared with an efficacy rate of 95 per cent shown for the Pfizer jab.
Yesterday, scientists said The Lancet paper – which showed only a minority of those in the study were elderly – left regulators with a ‘‘dilemma’’. The data is currently being studied by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, which will decide whether to approve the jab.
Experts said regulators would now be in a quandary about whether to approve the low dose vaccination, or allow it to be used in older people.
However, government sources said an efficacy rate of 62 per cent would provide significant protection to the population – above the rates given by annual flu jabs. They said decisions would be taken by the regulator, with hopes of authorisation by Christmas.
However, there were warnings that Britain was ‘‘not out of the woods’’ with those given the vaccine told not to expect extra freedoms. Hancock said they would be monitoring transmission rates as the vaccine was rolled out and that although vaccines provided a ‘‘route out’’ of the crisis, people must stick to the rules. –