Tag Archives: COVID-19 vaccine

Nick Ferrari Slaps Down Minister For Citing Covid-19 Vaccine As A Brexit ‘Achievement’

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Nick Ferrari slapped down a minister today after he cited the Covid-19 vaccine as a Brexit “achievement”.

Transport minister Richard Holden was asked to name the three “best achievements” of Brexit on the third anniversary of the UK’s departure from the European Union.

But when he named the Covid vaccine roll-out as his first example, veteran presenter Ferrari told him that was “not true”.

Holden told LBC: “Well, I’d say from the start the biggest impact we’ve seen over the last couple of years is probably Britain’s ability to fulfil its own vaccine programme…”

Ferrari interrupted: “Well, you will be aware of course the independent website Full Fact say that’s not true. And even the boss of our own MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) Dr June Raine has also said that’s not true. So can we strike that one out?”

Holden conceded that he was “absolutely right” and the country could have done it “within the EU”.

But he added: “I think the pressure, if we’d been in the EU to be part of an EU scheme, would have been quite unbelievable.”

For his second example he cited the UK’s procurement rules and for his third he outlined Solvency II reforms that have enabled Britain’s financial services sector to “remain head and shoulders above the rest of Europe”.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has forecast that the UK economy will perform worse than every other major country in 2023 – including Russia.

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Concern Over Covid Boosters And Baby Scans Cancelled For Queen’s Funeral

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Patients are expressing concern that some Covid booster jabs, flu vaccinations, as well as key hospital appointments, are being cancelled ahead of the Queen’s funeral on September 19 since it was made a last-minute Bank Holiday.

Kate Brodie, 62, a retired NHS GP who is about to start a second round of chemotherapy for breast cancer, had specifically timed the date of her Covid booster so it fell before her hospital treatment started.

The vaccine was booked for September 19. However Brodie, who lives in south Devon, says she received a text message on September 12 saying the appointment had been cancelled due to the unexpected bank holiday.

“Having cancer is a huge stress with all the worry about survival, the process of going through gruesome treatment and hoping to continue to avoid Covid 19 while my immune system is down,” she tells HuffPost UK.

“The death of the Queen is very sad, but the reaction by NHSE [NHS England] to cancel delivery of much-needed services at short notice will cause harm and hardship to many.”

Many GP practices across England will be closed for the Bank Holiday, which has been given to allow individuals, businesses and other organisations to pay their respects to the Queen on the day of her state funeral.

A letter from Dr Ursula Montgomery, director of primary care at NHS England, said that out-of-hours services will be in place during the day to meet patients’ urgent primary medical care needs.

The funeral has come at a busy time for the NHS, as it implements its Covid booster and flu vaccination programmes ahead of the winter.

A text message from one GP surgery on the outskirts of London, seen by HuffPost UK, said flu vaccine appointments scheduled for this week would need to be rescheduled by a few days because of “the unfortunate news the nation is facing at the moment”.

Dr Helen Salisbury, a GP and medical educator from Oxford, explained on Twitter how a last minute bank holiday can be a “nightmare” for those trying to run health services, especially with lots of patients already booked in.

“What to do?” she tweeted. “Implore staff to work and pay extra? Reschedule and delay all the appointments?”

Other staff working in general practice responded to say that even when they do open on Bank Holidays, they often aren’t busy. Some added that they suspect lots of patients won’t turn up because they’ll be watching the funeral.

Scheduled Covid boosters are still going ahead in care homes, said NHS England, which has also issued guidance urging clinics to stay open to deliver the boosters “where there is a high population need”.

But a report by openDemocracy found thousands of non-urgent hospital appointments – for issues such as hip and knee replacements, cataract surgery, maternity checks and some cancer treatments – are being postponed.

One pregnant woman revealed how her foetal scan had been cancelled, leaving her anxious about her baby’s health.

“I’m really disappointed,” she told openDemocracy. “Yes, it’s a routine scan, but that’s another week or two until I’m seen and wondering whether my baby is healthy – which means quite a lot of anxiety, sitting and waiting.”

Kate Brodie has since tried to rebook her Covid booster for the next cycle, but was told there were no dates free near to where she lives.

“Thankfully I have found a centre 15 miles away that I can attend on Sunday instead,” she says. “I am lucky I am mobile and have transport to reach the further venue.”

Meanwhile, Greg Hadfield, 66, from Brighton, also found out his Covid booster vaccine appointment on September 19 has been cancelled and is now having to travel nearly 40 minutes by car to get another one.

The 66-year-old was originally invited to have the booster at his local Waitrose. However because the store will now be closed for the Bank Holiday – as many supermarkets will be – his appointment won’t go ahead.

“When I tried to re-book for another day at the same centre, the system offered only dates that were 14 days-plus ahead, by which time I will be abroad for a month,” he tells HuffPost UK.

He has managed to book an appointment 40 minutes away for the same date, September 19, which hasn’t been cancelled – so far.

“I am just relieved to get the booster before leaving for Turkey and Greece later this month,” he says.

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Scientists Have Found The Two Most Effective Covid Booster Jabs

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The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the most effective Covid booster jabs. a new study has found, but all boosters could help fight the Omicron variant.

Newly published research from the ongoing CovBoost study into vaccines, shows that six different vaccines are safe and effective as booster doses for people who have already had two doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech.

The latest CovBoost trial, published in the Lancet, involved 2,878 people aged 30 or over who received a booster 10 to 12 weeks after their initial two jabs.

The six vaccines tested as a third doses were AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax, Janssen (made by Johnson and Johnson) and CureVac (which has ceased production).

“All of the vaccines in our study do show a statistically significant boost,” says Professor Saul Faust, trial lead and director of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

He stressed that while the boost delivered by the two mRNA vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – was “very high”, Novavax, Janssen and AstraZeneca also delivered “very effective boosts”.

Although the newly emerged Omicron variant was not tested in the study, the study showed that booster vaccines are working well against existing variants.

Asked specifically about Omicron, Prof Faust said: “Our hope as scientists is that protection against hospitalisation and death will remain intact.”

filadendron via Getty Images

“It’s really encouraging that a wide range of vaccines, using different technologies, show benefits as a third dose to either AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech,” said Prof Faust. “That gives confidence and flexibility in developing booster programmes here in the UK and globally, with other factors like supply chain and logistics also in play.

Additionally, researchers think that T cell immunity, which was studied alongside antibodies in the research, could play a big role in fighting off the new variant.

“Even though we don’t properly understand its relation to long-term immunity, the T cell data is showing us that it does seem to be broader against all the variant strains, which gives us hope that a variant strain of the virus might be able to be handled, certainly for hospitalisation and death if not prevention of infection, by the current vaccines,” Prof Faust said.

When looking at antibody levels in the trial, people who had received two doses of AstraZeneca initially had booster responses that were between 1.8 times higher to 32.3 times higher depending on the booster vaccine used. After two doses of Pfizer, the range was 1.3 times higher to 11.5 times higher.

There were 13 different groups testing the boosters or acting as controls, with controls given a meningitis vaccine. Immunity was then assessed after 28 days, with experts saying that more data will be published in the future on the immunity results three months and one year after receiving boosters.

Jonathan Ball, professor of molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, commented: “This is a fantastic study and it’s great to finally see the data that was no doubt pivotal in deciding the UK’s vaccine booster approach.

“The data clearly shows that all boosters provided a lift to at least one aspect of your Covid immunity, and that side effects were, on the whole, mild.”

He added: “The data also shows that an mRNA booster – such as Moderna or Pfizer – provided the best overall boost, irrespective of whether your first doses were mRNA or (AstraZeneca). The fact that the mRNA vaccine boosts gave a marked increase in both antibodies and T cells is great news, especially now, when our attention has been grabbed by the emergence of the Omicron variant.”

Samples from the study have now been passed to the UK Health Security Agency to look at how well the Omicron variant can be neutralised by vaccines.

More data will be published early next year looking at whether a longer period between second and third doses improves the response.

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What To Do If You’re Fully Vaccinated But Still Anxious About Covid

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If you’ve been taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously – you’ve worn your mask, social distanced and been fully vaccinated – you might be feeling anxious and angry that Covid-19 has not been beaten yet.

It’s understandable: you did your part, and yet here we are. What else can you do at this point to help end the pandemic? How do you still try to be responsible without sacrificing your mental health?

If you’re feeling anxious right now, experts offer some advice on how you can still move the needle in the fight against Covid-19, while protecting your sanity.

Approach the conversation with empathy and compassion

The thought of trying to convince an unvaccinated family member, friend or neighbour to get the jabs might feel like a futile (not to mention infuriating) task at this point.

People who have delayed getting a vaccine might seem as though they’ve made up their mind. But a lot of people who’ve held off are finally realising just how serious this all is; it’s possible that you can help reiterate that message.

“Encouraging and facilitating every single person to get vaccinated is one of the most valuable anti-Covid actions one can possible take,” said Sten Vermund, an infectious disease epidemiologist with Yale School of Public Health.

Many unvaccinated people actually aren’t stubborn anti-vaxxers, but rather victims of harmful misinformation campaigns or people genuinely worried about the safety of the jabs. Instead of blaming, lecturing and shaming unvaccinated people, have a conversation in an open, nonjudgmental and safe way.

“Help answer questions, and help direct people to trusted guides and the facts,” said Lucy McBride, a practicing internal medicine physician in Washington DC.

As we come out of this highly charged, emotional time, it’s easy to feel anxious and angry when you learn someone has chosen not to get vaccinated.

But McBride said you’ll be able to make the greatest impact if you engage people with empathy and compassion. “If you can try to understand and listen more and shout less, you might actually change a heart or a mind,” she said.

Adjusting your behaviour based on transmission in your community is vital – even if you've already received your shots.

Adjusting your behaviour based on transmission in your community is vital – even if you’ve already received your shots.

Behave based on local transmission

You should also keep an eye on what’s going on with Covid in your community. When case rates are low and vaccination rates are high, know that you – and even those around you who aren’t vaccinated – are extremely well-protected.

On the flip side, if you’re in an area where Covid cases and hospitilisations are higher, you may want to consider wearing a mask in indoor, unventilated situations where vaccinated and unvaccinated people are mixing. The risk of getting infected and passing the virus onto others, while still rare if you’re vaccinated, increases in these high-risk environments.

“Masks are a well-documented way of reducing the risk of droplet and aerosol transmission,” Vermund said.

Set firm boundaries and consider vaxxed-only events

If you want to play hardball, you can consider socialising exclusively with people who are vaccinated. Make vaccinations a requirement for your get-togethers. Not only are you unlikely to get seriously affected by Covid, but your social circles are also less likely to contract the virus and transmit it to others in their communities.

“The likelihood of any kind of serious event emerging from such an activity is vanishingly small,” said Vermund, who noted that this approach might be somewhat controversial and unpleasant — but potentially impactful.

If you do host an event where vaccinated and unvaccinated people are mixing in an area with high transmission, it would be prudent to ask people to mask up.

Maskless interactions are safest with vaccinated people, and there's nothing wrong with limiting your interactions to only those who have gotten the shots.

Maskless interactions are safest with vaccinated people, and there’s nothing wrong with limiting your interactions to only those who have gotten the shots.

Share stories about your own experience

Telling your story can be a powerful way to encourage people in your community to get vaccinated. Open up about how the pandemic has impacted your family or uprooted your life, and explain how the vaccine is our ticket back to all the things we love – work, play and school. This can be on social media, in conversations with loved ones or through local campaigns or advocacy groups.

“Be local educators,” Vermund said. “Tell your story, share your experience.”

Be flexible

The unfortunate truth about the pandemic is that things change, and we have to adjust to that change at a moment’s notice. What we know now about Covid-19 is different from what we knew back in April 2020, and will be different from what we understand six months from now.

The virus evolves, as do the treatment options, restrictions and recommendations. Perhaps the most impactful thing vaccinated people can do is follow the science – stay up to date with the latest learnings and behave accordingly.

Covid-19 is more than a news story – it has changed every aspect of life in the UK. We are following how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion, reaction and resilience. You can tell us how you are feeling and find further advice and resources here.

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Taxis and Takeaways: Are Covid Vaccine Incentives Going To Work?

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Car services such as Uber and Bolt and food delivery apps UberEats and Deliveroo are among those offering incentives for young people to get jabbed.

As the vaccine rollout continues, the government is doing everything it can to coax young people into getting the Covid-19 jab – and if that means offering discounted taxi rides and takeaways, Westminster says: whatever it takes.

Uber has said it’s reminding all users in August to get vaccinated, offering discounts on rides and meal delivery for doing so. Deliveroo will also offer vouchers, while Bolt is offering “free ride credit” to vaccination centres.

The Department of Health said more partnerships would be released “in due course”, while some local charities and councils have also started offering free taxis to help people get to vaccination centres.

The government remains concerned about the current Covid vaccine uptake among young people. The latest figures suggest 68% of 18 to 29-year-olds in England have had the first jab, compared to 88.6% of all UK adults.

Thanking the businesses supporting this vaccine drive, health secretary Sajid Javid then addressed young people directly, saying on Sunday: “Please go out and take advantage of the discounts.

“The lifesaving vaccines not only protect you, your loved ones and your community, but they are helping to bring us back together by allowing you to get back to doing the things you’ve missed.”

What do young people make of the scheme? We spoke to them to find out.

Abi Howe, 20, a student from Kent doesn’t think free pizza is enough to entice young people to get the vaccine. “It’s a childish and immature approach,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Hesitancy from young people is higher than the general population and that isn’t going to be eased by bribery, which suggests [the reason is] young people just aren’t bothered.”

Howe has already received her vaccination, but said that if she weren’t already vaccinated ,the discounts wouldn’t encourage her to get jabbed, nor has she seen any information as to whether incentives will be applied retroactively.

“I think young people have sacrificed a lot and this hasn’t been recognised,” she says. “Instead, they’ve been blamed for a rise in cases and now criticised for vaccine caution without proper information which might ease their worries.”

““It’s awful, tone-deaf and reeks of people putting graffiti on a leaflet, thinking, ‘yes, that will attract the kids’.””

– Chadwick, 29

Ada Enechi, a 27-year-old producer from east London was happy to bag her free meal after a first dose of the vaccine, which up until now she’d not got round to booking. In fact, she got jabbed and fed in the same place: a festival-like tent that has been set up near her house. Once vaccinated, she says, you get your free food and a drink, and it’s all accompanied by live music.

It sounds like a party, but freelancer and fellow Londoner Chadwick, 29, who preferred not to give his surname, thinks these incentives are a terrible idea.

“It’s awful, tone-deaf and reeks of people putting graffiti on a leaflet thinking, ‘yes, that will attract the kids’. If you have any respect for young people you would acknowledge the complexity of our existence,” he tells HuffPost UK.

Chadwick believes the vaccine is too important for such tactics and advises people seek out information about its safety, while avoiding scaremongering.

That message might resonate with Deborah Ajulo, 24, a sustainability coordinator from London, who has worries about the vaccine, as she believes scientists need several years to really understand a vaccine.

“Deals like this make me even more sceptical and push me further away from wanting to get the vaccine,” she tells HuffPost UK. “It feels like there is another agenda. This to me is not desperation, but it feels like they are trying to exclude people to peer-pressure them into getting the vaccine.”

She adds: “The government has treated young people like we’re ignorant and don’t understand what is going on. They’ve blamed young people for lockdowns and Covid spreading. I think they’ve just found it easier to blame us, rather than themselves for their lack of competency.”

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Third Vaccine Dose May Protect Those With Autoimmune Diseases

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People who suffer from an autoimmune disease may benefit from a third dose of the Covid vaccine to protect them from breakthrough infections, a new study suggests.

The vaccine programme is still rolling out in the UK – over 88% of adults have had their first dose and over 72% are now fully vaccinated with two doses.

Currently, two doses of the vaccine provides 90% protection against hospitalisation against the Delta variant. The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows that around 60,000 deaths and 52,600 hospitalisations have been prevented by vaccines up to July 23.

However, autoimmune diseases often require treatment that dampens the immune system leaving the immunocompromised still vulnerable to Covid and prompting growing calls for them to get a third dose of the vaccine

Previously medical professionals have been unsure whether Covid vaccines would work on immunocompromised people who take B-cell-depleting drugs, such as rituximab to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

However, a pre-print study from the Medical University of Vienna found patients taking rituximab were still able to develop a humoral and cellular immune response – including the antibody production necessary to fight Covid-19.

As Michael Bonelli, senior author of the Vienna study, explains: “B cells constitute an important cell population for the development of antibodies. We were able to show that more than 50% of patients receiving B-cell-depleting treatment with rituximab still develop antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19], and that there is potentially additional protection via a cellular immune response.”

This underscores the importance of vaccinating immunosuppressed patients against Covid, Bonelli said, while his colleague Daniel Aletaha, head of the university’s division of rheumatology, said they also showed that a third vaccination is sometimes needed for people with autoimmune disease.

“The findings from this study formed the basis for a now completed randomised booster vaccination study, which investigated whether the group of patients receiving rituximab treatment who were unable to produce antibodies following standard vaccination can develop humoral or cellular immunity if given a third vaccination with an mRNA vaccine [such a Pfizer] again or a third vaccination with a vector vaccine [such as AstraZeneca],” Aletaha said.

The findings come as many people remain concerned the UK government’s final easing of restrictions in England on July 19 – dubbed ‘Freedom Day’ by some – came before the nation was fully vaccinated, leaving those who have previously shielded from the virus susceptible to infection.

A third dose of the vaccine would differ from the autumn booster jab that has been suggested for the wider British public by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

According to the JCVI’s interim plan, this booster could be offered as early as September to those living in residential care homes for older adults, all adults aged 70 years or over, adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable, and frontline health and social care workers.

In the meantime, the researches behind the Vienna study hope their findings will feed into the creation of guidelines for a Covid vaccination strategy for immunosuppressed patients.

A follow-on study will extend the rituximab study to all patients with immunosuppression and different indications from the fields of rheumatology, neurology, haematology and transplantation, they added.

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How Much Time To Leave Between Your Two Pfizer Vaccine Doses

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Leaving eight weeks between your first and second dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is the optimum gap for immunity and protection, say scientists.

A new study, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care has found that a 10-week gap between doses produces higher antibody levels, as well as a higher proportion of infection-fighting T cells, compared to just four weeks.

However, scientists involved in the study have described an eight-week dosing interval as the “sweet spot” when it comes to generating a strong immune response while also protecting the UK population against the Delta variant of coronavirus – to which people can still be vulnerable after just one jab.

At the start of the second wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) decided to recommend 12 weeks between two doses for the two vaccines that were available at the time: Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca.

This was when vaccines were in short supply and early research suggested that widening the gap from the manufacturer-recommended four weeks to 12 ramped up the jabs’ immune response.

In May, the guidance was changed to eight weeks as cases associated with the Delta variant – which was first identified in India – continued to rise in the UK.

Professor Susanna Duanchie of the University of Oxford, joint chief investigator in the study, said: “The original recommendation from JCVI was 12 weeks and this was based on a lot of knowledge from other vaccines that often having a longer interval (between doses) gives your immune system a chance to make the highest response.

“The decision to put it to eight weeks is really balancing all the wider issues, the pros and cons – two doses is better than one overall. Also, other factors need to be balanced: vaccine supply, the desire to open up, and so on.”

She added: “I think that eight weeks is about the sweet spot for me, because people do want to get the two vaccine (doses) and there is a lot of Delta out there right now. Unfortunately, I can’t see this virus disappearing so you want to balance that against getting the best protection that you can.”

Researchers recruited 503 healthcare workers for the study, 44% (223) of whom previously had Covid-19, and studied the immune responses generated by the Pfizer jab. They found that both short (three to four-week) and long (10-week) gaps between the Pfizer vaccine doses generated strong antibody and T cell immune responses.

But the longer gap led to higher antibody levels and a higher proportion of helper T cells, which according to the researchers, supports immune memory.

After the second dose, a wider gap also resulted in higher neutralising antibody levels against the Delta variant and all other variants of concern, they found. But in this instance, antibody levels dropped off between first and second dose – leaving the recipients vulnerable against the Delta variant after one jab.

Dr Rebecca Payne, one of the study’s authors from Newcastle University, said the cellular response from infection-fighting T cells remained consistent across both long and short dosing gaps, suggesting they play an important role in protecting against Covid-19 between the first and second jab.

“After the second dose on the longer dosing schedule, antibody levels surpassed those seen at the same timepoint after a shorter dosing interval,” she added. “Although T cell levels were comparatively lower, the profile of T cells present suggested more support of immune memory and antibody generation.”

Researchers said there may be exceptions where the gap between doses may need to be shortened from eight weeks to four, such as before treatments that may affect the immune system, such as cancer or organ transplant.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government took the JCVI’s advice to shorten the dosing interval from 12 to eight weeks to help protect more people against the Delta variant.

“This latest study provides further evidence that this interval results in a strong immune response and supports our decision,” he added.

“I urge every adult to get both doses of the vaccine to protect yourself and those around you and we are looking to offer millions of the most vulnerable a booster jab from September to ensure this protection is maintained.”

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Will My Child Get The Covid Vaccine? A Guide For Parents

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The vaccine programme has been rolled out to more children across the UK, but it’s not open to all under 18s just yet.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said that he has asked the NHS to prepare to vaccinate the newly eligible groups “as soon as possible”. Here’s what you need to know as a parent or guardian.

Can my child get the vaccine?

Under previous advice, teens aged 16 to 17 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious Covid should have already been offered a jab. The latest announcement extends the vaccine rollout to more vulnerable children.

Vulnerable children between the ages of 12 and 15 will now be offered a Covid vaccine. Those who’ll be offered a jab include children with severe neurodisabilities, Down’s syndrome, immunosuppression and multiple or severe learning disabilities.

The vaccine will also be offered to 17-year-olds who are within three months of their 18th birthday.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has also recommended that children and young people aged 12 to 17 who live with an immunosuppressed person be offered the vaccine, to indirectly protect their immunosuppressed household contacts.

What vaccine will vulnerable children get?

The medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has already approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use among children aged 12 and over in the UK, so it is likely this is the vaccine they will receive.

Why is there caution about the vaccine for kids?

The government has said it will continue to review whether or not to offer the vaccine to all under 18s.

The caution is due to a lack of available trial data, says Helen Bedford, Professor of Children’s Health at UCL. There’s also a careful balancing act between the benefits of the vaccine vs any potential negative impacts on kids.

“Healthy young people and children become seriously ill with COVID-19 extremely rarely, so there would be few direct benefits for them of vaccination but it would contribute to increasing population immunity,” she explains. “Before recommending vaccination for all children and young people we therefore need to be very clear about of the safety of the vaccines in this group.

“Although there is now good trial data and experience of vaccinating very large numbers of adults and the vaccines have been shown to be safe, we cannot automatically assume this applies to children. More information is needed from trials and experience of using these vaccines in young people and children before the programme is rolled out further.”

What are other countries doing?

Nearly half of European countries have decided to offer the vaccine to children aged 12 and over, including France, Spain, Italy and Austria. Some vaccination programmes have started, while others are imminent, with plans to vaccinate children before the new school term in September widespread.

What about long Covid?

While children are less likely to suffer severe illness from coronavirus, they aren’t untouchable. Hundreds of children in the UK are struggling with long Covid months after becoming sick.

In rare instances, some children have developed a multi-system inflammatory syndrome linked to Covid-19 which can lead to organ damage. Scientists will consider this when continuing to weigh up the pros and cons of vaccines.

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How To Prove You’re Vaccinated With The NHS Covid Pass

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You might have got a “I’ve had my Covid vaccination” sticker after getting your jab – or a small card with your name and the date – but there’s a more official way to prove you’ve been double jabbed.

Foreign secretary, Grant Schapps, has announced those who have been double jabbed will be able to travel home from amber list countries without quarantining from later this summer. So how can you prove it?

How to prove you’ve had two Covid vaccinations in England

For travel, if there’s a requirement to have had two Covid vaccinations to the country you’re going to, or coming back from, you’ll be asked to show your vaccination status by officials.

You can request an NHS Covid Pass to prove this on the NHS website or on the NHS app. This app is different to the NHS Covid-19 app, which you use to check into venues. To use the NHS app, you’ll need to be registered with a GP surgery and create a login. You’ll need your NHS number to do this, which is pretty easy to access online.

Once logged in to the app, choose the ‘Get your NHS Covid Pass’ button. You can then press ‘travel’. It will take you to a screen that has details of your Covid-19 records. Press ‘show details’ and you’ll be shown a QR code, that will expire 30 days from the date of issue. To get a new one, you just log back in.

You can also request an NHS Covid Pass letter on the NHS website. You’ll be asked some questions, so they can find your vaccine record, and then they’ll send a letter to to the address you have registered with your GP surgery. You should get this letter within five working days.

And finally, people who have had both their jabs can also request an NHS Covid Pass letter by calling 119. This won’t show test results, and has no expiry date.

What about in the rest of the UK?

Those in Scotland aged 16 and over can request a paper copy of their vaccine status via the NHS inform website. You can also call 0808 196 8565.

In Wales, there isn’t yet a digital pass to show vaccine status. There is a paper one, though and you can request one of these by calling 0300 303 5667. You need to have had at least five days since your second dose.

In Northern Ireland, they are working on a paper-based Covid pass. It’s hoped it will be available by July, with digital passes available by summer.

How to bring forward your second jab

Many people initially had their second jab booked for 12 weeks after their first. However, it’s now possible to move your second jab earlier – to eight weeks after your first. This is to ensure maximum protection against the Delta variant.

It’s best to do this by going on the NHS website and filling out your details. Some people have had to cancel their existing second jab appointment to be able to view earlier appointments and rebook. Other people have been able to view available earlier appointments, and rebook, without having to cancel their first. If you’re worried about rebooking an appointment, call 119 free of charge.

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Two Thirds Of Agency Nursing Staff Still Waiting For Second Covid Jab

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GEOFF CADDICK via AFP via Getty Images

A nurse fills a syringe with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination centre in Llanelli, South Wales.

Nursing staff working outside the NHS are half as likely to have received a full coronavirus vaccine dose as their NHS colleagues, a new study reveals.

Just under a third of agency staff have been given both of their jabs, compared with two-thirds of permanent staff, according to the survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of 20,000 members.

It also found that 5.6% of agency nursing professionals (one in 18) have not been offered a single dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, compared with only 1.3% of permanent staff (one in 77).

Frontline health and social care workers, who are second on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) priority list alongside people aged 80 and over, should have all received an invitation to receive a second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by now.

Vaccinations for people in the top two priority groups began in December. People next on the list, those aged over 75, were invited from early January. On February 14, the government said it had offered all 15m people in the top four priority groups their first dose.

Latest figures published by the government show more than 7.4m people have received their second dose and more than 32m people have received a first dose. More than 32m doses should be enough to cover everyone in the UK over the age of 50, all health and care workers and those with pre-existing conditions.

But the survey revealed that as of April 6, only 94% of nursing staff have actually received at least one dose of a vaccine and 62% had received both doses.

Nearly half (46%) of nursing staff outside of the NHS, including permanent employees in non-NHS settings such as care homes, were still waiting for their second jab, compared to just under 24% of those working in the NHS.

The most worrying finding was that about one in 50 members reported having not been offered a vaccine at all. Those included nursing staff who work in hospitals, care homes and in the community, the RCN said. 

The results were an improvement from a previous survey conducted in February, which found “a concerning disparity” between vaccination rates among NHS and non-NHS staff, with non-NHS staff accounting for 70% of the nursing staff who had yet to be vaccinated.

JACOB KING via POOL/AFP via Getty Images

A nurse is given the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in Coventry on January 7.

Nursing staff not working directly for the NHS include professionals who are employed by agencies, or who work in local communities, in care homes and people’s own homes with some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Tthe RCN said more still needed to be done to ensure all nursing staff are given their jabs. “The gap has narrowed significantly yet those outside the NHS are still behind their NHS colleagues when it comes to receiving their second jab,” it warned.

The union has called on the government to ensure vaccines are offered to all nursing staff to stop them from “slipping through the net”.

Jude Diggins, RCN director of nursing, policy and public affairs, said: “The gap between NHS and non-NHS staff having their first dose has closed but there remains more work to be done to ensure all nursing staff, whatever setting they work in, are given the protection they need.

“Every effort must be made to prevent nursing staff from slipping through the net. Their safety has to be the government’s top concern and that cannot be compromised.”

The government must make sure people who should have already received their vaccinations do so “without delay”, Labour said following the RCN survey.

Shadow health minister Justin Madders said: “As restrictions begin to ease ministers must do all they can to ensure that those who should have received the vaccination already are given this without delay. 

“This should include targeted work to drive up vaccinations in all who work in the NHS, including agency and bank staff.” 

In response to HuffPost UK’s request to explain why some nursing staff have yet to be invited for vaccination, a DHSC spokesperson claimed: “We have visited every eligible care home in England, offered vaccines to all staff, and continue to work closely with the care sector, independent healthcare providers and local leaders, to maximise vaccination numbers and save thousands of lives.

“The vaccines are safe and effective and we want everyone to take up the offer of a jab when they’re called forward.”

They added: “Our vaccination programme is the biggest in NHS history, and so far our heroic health and care staff have helped administer more than 39m vaccines.”

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