Risk of catching Covid cut by THIRD if you live with someone who has been vaccinated
THE risk of catching Covid is cut by a THIRD if you live with someone who has been vaccinated, it was revealed tonight. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said data from vaccinated healthcare workers in Scotland suggests that immunised Brits are far less likely to pass on the virus. Dr […]
THE risk of catching Covid is cut by a THIRD if you live with someone who has been vaccinated, it was revealed tonight.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said data from vaccinated healthcare workers in Scotland suggests that immunised Brits are far less likely to pass on the virus.
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Dr Mary Ramsay tonight unveiled a raft of new data that shows the real-world impact of Britain’s jab rollout.
She told the Downing Street briefing: “Data from Scotland suggests vaccinated healthcare workers have a 30 per cent lower chance of passing infection on to their household contacts.
“This is the first evidence we have of a reduction in transmission from vaccination.
“This means the more people we vaccinate, the more we reduce the spread of infection”.
The news comes as a huge boost in the fight against the pandemic, as experts were previously uncertain about whether vaccines would prevent transmission.
It means that, with more Brits inoculated, transmission of the virus will remain low – preventing a further wave of infections and the possible emergence of new strains.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock added about nine in 10 people aged around 70 have coronavirus antibodies thanks to the vaccination programme.
He told the press conference: “Around 90 per cent of people aged around 70 and above at that point (the start of March) had these antibodies and it has continued to expand further in the two weeks or so since then.”
Mr Hancock added: “After a single dose of either vaccine, protection against Covid-19 is around 60 per cent, that’s protection against getting it, protection against hospitalisation is around 80 per cent and protection against death is around 85 per cent.”
It comes as:
- Matt Hancock wrote to Sun readers to assure them that the jab was still perfectly safe – and there was no risk of blood clots
- He will give a press conference tonight as the UK passes the 25million jab mark
- Boris Johnson revealed earlier today he would be getting the AZ jab in the coming days
Elsewhere, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there would be a focus on vaccinating the most vulnerable before moving on to the over-40s but warned the UK would do “everything necessary” to ensure supplies continue.
He told the Downing Street press conference: “We’re on track to offer a first dose to everyone in priority groups 1-9 by April 15.
“While we deliver on that commitment, we also want to ensure that this offer reaches everyone in groups 1-9.
“At the same time as opening up offers of vaccinations to all those who are 50 or above, we are going to do whatever it takes to reach all those in the most vulnerable groups who haven’t come forward yet before we move onto the next cohort, which is people in their 40s.”
Mr Hancock’s speech comes after Brussels threatened to seize factories on the continent producing the Oxford Astrazeneca jab – despite several countries pausing their rollout of very same vaccine just days ago.
EU boss Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc could even suspend patents on the lifesaving jab so anyone could produce it – but critics branded the threats “Stalinist.”
Ms von der Leyen said she did not rule out triggering emergency powers to “make sure Europeans are vaccinated as soon as possible” – warning “all options are on the table”.
She said today: “It is hard to explain to our citizens why vaccines produced in the EU are going to other countries that are also producing vaccines, but hardly anything is coming back.
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“And the second point that is of importance for us is on whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still in proportion.
“We want to see reciprocity and proportionality in exports, and we are ready to use whatever tools you need to deliver on that.
“In other words, we want to have vaccines. This is about making sure that Europe gets a fair share.”