All over-16s in Britain will be offered the first dose Covid-19 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, paving the way for an inoculation drive before teenagers return to school.
Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said it was updating initial advice given last month in light of changes in the spread of the disease in younger groups.
“After carefully considering the latest data, we advise that healthy 16- to 17-year-olds are offered a first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Advice on when to offer the second vaccine dose will come later,” said Wei Shen Lim, the committee's Covid-19 head.
The committee said that the benefits of keeping children healthy and in school were paramount, though there would also be positive impacts on society more broadly.
Children aged 12 to 15 with specific underlying health conditions will continue to be offered vaccines, but this list could soon be expanded to those without pre-existing conditions.
Jonathan Van Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said there was “no time to waste” in administering the shots to over-16s and said he wanted it to happen as fast as possible.
He said he expected that the vaccines would become available to teenagers within the weeks before the reopening of schools, and added that the project was “full steam ahead".
As 16 is the age of consent in the UK, children of this age and older do not need parental permission to take the vaccine.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he accepted the advice but said no decision has been made on vaccinating younger children.
“Today’s advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation means more young people aged 16 and over can benefit from Covid-19 vaccines,” he said.
“I have accepted their expert recommendations and I have asked the NHS to prepare to vaccinate those eligible as soon as possible.
“The [committee] has not recommended vaccinating under-16s without underlying health conditions but will keep its position under review based on the latest data.”
More than 220,000 children in England have already had a Covid-19 vaccine, figures show, with a number of under-18s eligible if they have certain health conditions or live with someone with a weak immune system.
Some countries, including the US, Canada and France, have begun to vaccinate people 12 years old and over.
Ministers fears that September and October will be a risky time for transmission as children return from summer holidays and the weather becomes colder.
Scientists say younger people are more likely to spread the virus to more vulnerable people even though they themselves are less likely to become seriously ill.
A University College London study released on Thursday showed vaccinated people were three times less likely to catch the virus.
Prof Paul Elliott, director of the React study, said the highest infection rates in the study involving 98,000 people were seen in those up to the age of 24.
“The increase in the virus was being driven by these younger age groups,” he told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme on Thursday.
“Anything we can do to reduce transmission in that group would be helpful.”
He said declining infection rates could be put at risk when children return to school.
“Things are going in the right direction now as schools have closed, people are on holiday and people are mixing outdoors more,” he said.
“The big issue is what’s going to happen in the autumn.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, underlined the importance of suppressing Covid in schools.
“Distinctively, what you’ve got in a school or college is large groups of younger people who have not been vaccinated with adults there,” he said.
“They congregate in big groups and they are not expected to wear face coverings. To suddenly move from quite a lot of control measures to almost no control measures seems pretty reckless.”
A new report by the Institute for Government on Wednesday found the government's “refusal” to make contingency plans for exams in the summer of 2020 was the “most unforgivable aspect” of its handling of education during the pandemic.
It said the pandemic was “easily the most disruptive period in children’s education since at least the start of the Second World War”.
Mr Barton expected that over-16s would welcome the offer to receive a Covid-19 vaccine to prevent any further disruption to their education.
“I’m sure many parents … will think at last we are giving some priority to their education,” he said.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday: “I am hoping, possibly veering towards expecting, updated advice from the [committee] literally in the next day or so.
“I am hoping, but this is the [committee's] advice, that they will recommend further vaccination of people in the 12- to 18-year-old age group. I’m particularly hopeful that we will see some updated recommendations as the first part of this for 16- and 17-year-olds.”
Appointments are expected to begin within two weeks because Britain has sufficient reserves of vaccines to extend the programme to younger people.
The committee had not planned to revisit its ruling until the end of this month, but it is understood that this has been brought forward for over-16s.
There are 1.45 million children aged 16 and 17 in the UK.
Ministers are increasingly concerned about the vaccination rate among young people, which is tailing off with a third of under-40s still unprotected.
On Monday, 26,114 people were vaccinated with a first dose, with daily numbers having fallen 83 per cent since the end of June.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week risked provoking fury among his back bench MPs by announcing that vaccine passports for nightclubs and other events will be introduced next month, but there has been no clear sign that this tougher tone has led to a sustained increase in vaccine uptake.
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Company%20profile
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SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
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Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Abu Dhabi GP starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)
8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
14 Sergio Perez (Force India)
15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
20 Lance Stroll (Williams)
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
