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Britain administered the primary dose of its newly-approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday amid requires the nation to enter a 3rd nationwide lockdown.
Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old man from the vaccine’s birthplace Oxford, was the primary to be given the brand new vaccine, which is being rolled out because the U.Okay. grapples with a surge in coronavirus instances.
“Didn’t feel it, how strange,” Pinker mentioned after receiving the injection. “I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year.”
The vaccine is the second to be authorised to be used within the U.Okay. after the Pfizer/BioNTech jab was given the thumbs-up by regulators on the finish of 2020.
It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces mounting calls to introduce harder restrictions throughout England, with opposition Labour Party chief Keir Starmer demanding the alternative of its present tiered system of restrictions with a extra stringent nationwide lockdown.
The U.Okay. has registered greater than 50,000 new daily cases for six days in a row, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock advised the BBC’s Today program the entire variety of individuals in hospital in England was now “higher than the first peak” final spring.
Most of the U.Okay. is at present topic to essentially the most stringent tier 4 coronavirus restrictions, beneath which residents are urged to remain at house and non-essential companies, together with the vast majority of outlets, pubs and eating places, are ordered to shut, however Johnson hinted Sunday that remaining areas could possibly be upgraded to the very best degree of restrictions.
The prime minister is anticipated to chair a gathering of his “COVID-O” committee Monday.
“The old tier system is no longer strong enough,” Hancock mentioned Monday, stating that the system was designed in November earlier than a extra infectious pressure of the coronavirus was correctly understood.
Conservative MP Neil O’Brien — who chairs Johnson’s Downing Street coverage board — said the government needed to do “something big to slow the explosive growth and stop hospitals being further overwhelmed.”
Johnson additionally faces stress over the federal government’s plan to reopen colleges in some components of England, with all main educating unions calling for a “pause” in reopening establishments and accusing the federal government of “creating chaos.”
This article is a part of POLITICO’s premium coverage service: Pro Health Care. From drug pricing, EMA, vaccines, pharma and extra, our specialised journalists preserve you on high of the subjects driving the well being care coverage agenda. Email [email protected] for a complimentary trial.
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