Britain's vaccination campaign is slashing Covid-19 infections and the UK has "moved from a pandemic to an endemic situation", scientists said.
A study of more than 370,000 people showed a 65 per cent reduction in infections after one dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines.
It also showed the vaccines were effective in older people and worked against the UK variant of Covid-19.
Prof Sarah Walker, chief investigator of the National Covid-19 Infection Survey, said the study showed that “the vaccines really do work”.
"We're effectively endemic, we've moved from a pandemic to an endemic situation," she told the Daily Telegraph.
According to the findings, one dose of a vaccine led to a 74 per cent drop in symptomatic cases of Covid-19 and a 57 per cent drop in asymptomatic cases.
After a second dose, protection against symptomatic cases rose to 90 per cent, while overall infections fell by 70 per cent.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Prof Walker said the vaccines gave Britain an "amazing opportunity" to prevent infections.
“We found that 21 days after a first dose, there was a big, so about two-thirds, reduction in all Covid cases regardless of whether people had had a single dose of the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccine,” she said.
“Vaccination was just as effective in people over 75 and in people who report long-term health conditions.
“That’s important because those people often don’t go into the trials that test the vaccines in the first place.”
The data came from studies by the University of Oxford, the Office of National Statistics and the UK Department of Health.
They analysed more than 1.6 million test results dating back to December when the vaccination campaign began.
Since then, more than 33 million people in Britain have received a first dose of a vaccine, making up 63 per cent of the adult population.
Second doses were administered to more than 11 million people, giving a high level of protection to 21 per cent of adults.
UK studies Covid-19 variants as lockdown is eased
The UK's infection rate fell significantly during a prolonged lockdown that began in January, before restrictions were eased in March and again on April 12.
Prof Walker said it was not possible to assess the effect of the UK's vaccination programme on other variants, such as the strain first identified in South Africa, because there are so few cases of these variants in Britain at the moment, she said.
Testing was ramped up in London this month to rein in the spread of the South African variant after a cluster of cases was found.
Government figures show at least 670 cases of the variant in the UK, as well as 119 cases of two separate strains that were first detected in Brazil.
Scientists in the UK are also studying a new variant detected in India, which is facing a severe crisis in its second wave of the pandemic.
It is not yet clear whether the new variant is more transmissible than other strains or whether it is capable of evading vaccines.
From today, India is on the UK’s travel red list, which means that foreign visitors are banned from entering Britain from India.
UK and Irish citizens and people with residency rights in Britain must stay in government-arranged quarantine hotels if they return from India to the UK.
More on Covid-19 vaccinations
Tech company launches UK's first vaccine passport
German states make AstraZeneca vaccines available to all
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
TEST SQUADS
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.
Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.
Dunki
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Switching%20sides
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
