‘Stable’ UK will not follow Austria into lockdown, says Sage adviser

Health Secretary urges Britons to take up offer of booster jabs as coronavirus cases surge on Continent

‘We’ve had high rates in the UK but fairly stable. I don’t think that things will happen quite in the same way as they have in Austria and Germany’

THE UK is unlikely to follow Austria into lockdown, a senior Government scientific adviser has said, as Sajid Javid urged people to take up booster jabs.

Professor John Edmunds, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( Sage), yesterday described the British situation as “fairly stable”.

By contrast, central Europe has suffered a surge in cases, with Austria due to return to lockdown tomorrow, and officials in Germany refusing to rule it out there.

Also an adviser on the Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), Prof Edmunds has been considered a leading advocate for lockdowns.

However, when asked if the UK was likely to follow Austria into a winter lockdown, Prof Edmunds said: “Here in the UK, we’ve had high rates of infection for many months now and we’re in a slightly different position to Austria and Germany.

“We’ve had high rates but fairly stable. I don’t think that things will happen quite in the same way as they have done there.”

As of yesterday, the UK had a sevenday average of 44,242 new Covid cases, up 13 per cent in a week.

The number of deaths, a measure which lags the infection rate by roughly two weeks, was down nearly 5 per cent, however, reflecting the see-saw nature of the pandemic in Britain since the first since the first post-lockdown peak in July.

Prof Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the situation in Europe, where vaccination rates are lower, should serve as a “warning” to get booster jabs.

Almost 15million boosters have been administered in the UK.

These have been to those aged 50 or above or those who are clinically vulnerable. Last night the Government announced that from tomorrow, more than one million people aged 40 to 49 will be able to book a vaccination.

A recent study showed that the third jab pushes protection against symptomatic Covid-19 back to over 90 per cent in adults aged over 50.

Sajid Javid, the Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “Getting your Covid-19 booster vaccine is the best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe this winter and will help reduce the pressure on the NHS.

“While the Government is continuing to monitor a wide range of data to ensure the country remains protected, we have very sadly seen a surge in cases in parts of Europe.

“The most important thing we can do to stop a similar rise in this country is get the jab – so please get your vaccines as soon as you can so we can keep the virus at bay.”

Those eligible for a booster can book an appointment five months after receiving their second dose and are entitled to the vaccine at six months.

Last night the Department of Health also said that 16 and 17-year-olds can book a second jab from tomorrow.

Responding to the announcement of the Austrian lockdown, a Government source told The Sunday Telegraph: “People have got to come forward to get their boosters, but there’s no suggestion that we need to pull any other levers.”

The jab remains the “main tool in our box” to control the virus, the spokesman added, highlighting that the UK’s vaccination rate is far higher than many of the worst-hit parts of Europe, creating a “different backdrop” to Covid.

Although the effectiveness of vaccines against severe disease is high, health officials warn that a small change can generate a significant increase in hospital admissions, which is one of the key factors the Government would take into account when considering restrictions.

A change of 95 to 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation, would lead to a doubling of admissions in vaccinated people, a source said.