Britain gears up for V-Day inoculation rollout as row breaks out over vaccine cards


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The UK is nearing the start of the biggest immunisation campaign in its history.

The world's first rollout of the Pifzer-BioNTech vaccine will begin on Tuesday – an occasion Health Secretary Matt Hancock called V-Day.

The rollout comes as the threat of a no-deal Brexit increases by the hour with Britain and the EU struggling to strike a new trade deal.

The deadlock could threaten the supply of the vaccine because the nearest Pfizer manufacturing plant to the UK is in Belgium. The government reportedly has military flights on standby in case negotiations collapse and new rules cause border chaos from January 1.

Asked whether the armed forces would be used to help transport the vaccine to the UK, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: "Potentially – we are looking at non-commercial flight options."

Mr Cleverly also confirmed Britons would be handed a Covid-19 vaccination card to show they have been inoculated against the disease. The confirmation comes a week after the government denied that the cards would be required to gain entry to restaurants and bars.

There are fears some businesses may give preferential treatment to customers who have received a vaccine.

Tory MPs have previously criticised vaccine passports as "coercion" and a restriction of civil liberties.

Pressed on whether the cards were in fact a passport, Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “It’s about unlocking people’s lives, it’s about unlocking the economy, it’s about making sure we protect lives and protect livelihoods.”

A card which will be given to patients following their Covid-19 vaccine shot. Bloomberg
A card which will be given to patients following their Covid-19 vaccine shot. Bloomberg

First in line to receive the vaccine are people aged 80 and over, care home workers and frontline staff in the NHS, who are considered at higher risk. The government also wants to prioritise elderly residents in care homes but is running into technical challenges in administering doses away from hospitals, given the need for ultra-low storage temperatures.

A special network of GPs and pharmacists will begin vaccinating patients from December 14. The government expects that the majority of vulnerable people will be vaccinated in January and February.

Meanwhile, a leading scientist said on Monday that the country could experience a “severe peak” of infections in January if social distancing was ignored. Prof Andrew Hayward of University College London said he was concerned about scenes of crowded high streets and shopping centres.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We still have the winter to get through, which is likely to be the time that is most favourable for Covid transmission.

“We could still see a very severe peak, particularly in January, when I predict that would be most likely if we take our foot off the pedal on this. And that would be so sad considering we’re going to be in a stage where we can protect the most vulnerable during December, January, February and start to get back to normal in late spring, early summer.”

At Croydon hospital at the weekend, a lab technician lifted a package of doses out of dry ice in a box storing the vaccine at minus 70°C, and transferred the batch to a special freezer.

"To know that they are here, and we are among the first in the country to actually receive the vaccine and therefore the first in the world, is just amazing, I'm so proud," said Louise Coughlan, joint chief pharmacist at the Croydon hospital trust.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered in two doses, three weeks apart. Britain's initial batch will cover 400,000 people, and the government has another 40 million doses ordered. It hopes for many more from other drug companies, including a leading candidate from the Oxford University-AstraZeneca partnership still being evaluated.

Approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected later this month in the US and EU.

National Health Service medical director Stephen Powis said Britain's rollout would be a "marathon not a sprint", with the government sequencing priority groups by age and health condition. The vaccine is not expected to reach younger groups until spring or summer 2021.

"Despite the huge complexities, hospitals will kick-start the first phase of the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country's history from Tuesday," Dr Powis said. "Hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge to protect the most vulnerable people from this awful disease."

The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, are reportedly in line to receive the shot early in the rollout because of their age. Britain's most senior royals will also convey to the public that they have been given the inoculations "as a powerful counter to the anti-vaccination movement", The Times reported.

Monty Python star Michael Palin, 77, campaigning singer Bob Geldof, 69, and 73-year-old Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones also committed publicly to getting the vaccine in a drive to boost take-up.

A YouGov poll of more than 5,300 people published last Wednesday indicated 27 per cent of people were "very confident" about the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine; 43 per cent were "somewhat confident"; 11 per cent "not very confident"; and 9 per cent "not confident at all".

Just under half (44 per cent) opposed compulsory vaccination, while more than a third (37 per cent) backed the idea.

The Kites

Romain Gary

Penguin Modern Classics

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

Result

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2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

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4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

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AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet

Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)

Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)

Brief scores:

Day 1

Toss: India, chose to bat

India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)

Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40

THREE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams 
Penguin Randomhouse

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand 

Yet to bat

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

LILO & STITCH

Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders

Director: Dean Fleischer Camp

Rating: 4.5/5

Winners

Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Schedule:

Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Habib El Qalb

Assi Al Hallani

(Rotana)

ASHES SCHEDULE

First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)

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

How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

Pieces of Her

Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick   

Director: Minkie Spiro

Rating:2/5

Scotland's team:

15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell

Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris