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Australia to Phase Out the Use of the AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine Due to Safety Concerns

Australia will gradually phase out the use of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine in its national vaccine roll-out, with doses only to be given if requested from October onwards. The decision has been spurred by safety concerns and follows the development of a condition that can cause paralysis and can even be life-threatening shortly after taking the AZ vaccine in at least eight Australians. The Guardian has more.

The Government released a revised planning document on Wednesday outlining how it intended to direct supplies over the rest of the year…

The vaccination document, titled National Vaccination Allocation Horizons, suggests in July and August AstraZeneca will continue to dominate the vaccination program, with up to 2.6 million doses being administered each week, predominantly to those over the age of 60, through state and territory clinics and the primary care network.

But as the vaccination of this age group nears completion, it is anticipated AstraZeneca will be used only “subject to request” from October.

The commonwealth last week announced changed health advice for the AstraZeneca shot restricting it to over-60s because it has been linked to an extremely rare blood clotting condition.

In the “Horizon Two” phase in September, supplies of the Moderna vaccine come on stream, with up to 125,000 doses per week to be made available to the primary care network, the document foreshadows.

By this stage, Pfizer supplies will also be ramping up, with up to 1.3 million doses a week available, up from the 750,000 a week available in July and August.

The Pfizer supplies are expected to increase again by the end of the year to between 1.7 million and 2.3 million doses a week, as the Government races to meet its pledge to allow every Australian access to a vaccine by the end of 2021.

Worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  23 June 2021 • 13.12
     
51 comments

Mask-Wearing and Social Distancing Rules Should Stay in Place Due to Covid Variants, Says WHO Official

Mask-wearing and social distancing should become part of “the life to come”, says a Special Envoy on Covid for the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr David Nabarro told Sky News that restrictive measures should stay in place because it is “inevitable” that new Covid variants will be able to “break through the vaccine-related protection in a few people”.

Sky News has more.

[Dr Nabarro’s comments come] as India said on Tuesday that the new “Delta plus” variant recently discovered in the country is of concern and that nearly two dozen cases had been detected in three states.

Speaking to Sky News, Dr Nabarro said the “issue of variants is what we are watching all over the world” and they “are going to go on coming”.

“We will go from Delta to Lambda and then on to the other Greek letters, that’s inevitable, and some of these variants will be troublesome,” he said.

“They will be able to break through the vaccine-related protection in a few people and that will cause problems.”

He added: “I’m basically saying variants are going to go on coming. That’s part of life, we need to pick them up fast, we need to move quickly if we see them in a certain location, we need to build the management of variants into what we call our Covid-ready strategy, which is going to be the pattern for the foreseeable future.”

Due to new strains, Mr Nabarro suggested that mask-wearing and keeping apart would still be necessary for areas of high infection.

He said there was a need to “maintain defences against the virus to stop it welling up more and more, and that’s going to be the life to come, at least until there’s enough vaccine, and enough certainty, to be sure that vaccination will protect us. Right now we can’t say that.”

Dr Nabarro said we will have to continue social distancing as well as using vaccines “as part of our defence” against Covid, particularly in virus hotspots.

Reports this morning suggest that guidelines on face masks and distancing could be dropped on July 19th because of the slowdown in Covid infections. Earlier this month, however, a top Government adviser and long-time member of the Communist Party of Britain said they should stay in place “forever”, not only for Covid but also “to reduce other [diseases]”.

The Sky News report is worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  23 June 2021 • 11.33
         
144 comments

News Round-Up

By Jonathan Barr  /  23 June 2021 • 02.13
 
103 comments

SAGE Models Wrong Already: Hospital Occupancy is HALF What they Predict. Here’s What they Get Wrong

The models the Government is relying on to justify continuing lockdown have not got off to a good start. The projections of the huge summer wave should “freedom day” not be delayed are, as of June 21st (so before any delay could make a difference), almost twice as high for hospital occupancy as the actual number of Covid patients in hospital (see graph above).

Here’s a similar graph from the Spectator with the hospital admissions data superimposed on various SAGE projections (keep track of it here).

Fraser Nelson at the Spectator seems to share our scepticism at Lockdown Sceptics about Government modelling, reminding readers of the notorious SAGE autumn projections that envisaged up to 4,000 deaths a day by early December, but which were inaccurate the day they were published.

However, he then endorses scarcely less pessimistic modelling from Bristol University, which predicts that “hospitalisations peak at just over 900 on August 20th”.

While he admits that “no scenario points to the NHS being overwhelmed” since “Covid patients would occupy 2.5% of hospital beds” (at most), nonetheless he thinks the Government was right to delay the end of restrictions. This is because:

SAGE Models Wrong Already: Hospital Occupancy is HALF What they Predict. Here’s What they Get WrongRead More

By Will Jones  /  23 June 2021 • 02.01
         
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UEFA Officials Allowed to Visit U.K. Without Quarantine

The chances of Brits holidaying abroad this year are slim at best. But the Government, while enforcing severe restrictions on its own citizens, has decided to allow almost three thousand football “VIPs” to attend the Euro 2020 finals without having to abide by quarantine rules. The Telegraph has the story.

Ministers are facing a backlash from senior Tory MPs over the decision to exempt UEFA officials, politicians and sponsors from having to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in the U.K.

It comes days after it was reported that UEFA had threatened to move the matches to Budapest unless ministers relented on the quarantine rules. Sources said the U.K. would have lost out if it had failed to compromise.

While the agreement still needs final sign-off by public health officials, sources told the Telegraph the exemption was due to commence on July 5th – a day before the first semi-final at Wembley. It will remain in place until after the final, which is being played on July 11th. 

The number of VIPs due to travel to the U.K. is expected to be in the “low thousands”, although Government sources say many will only remain for one match.

The exemption was personally negotiated by Dan Rosenfield, Mr Johnson’s Chief of Staff, who is an avid football fan and supports Manchester United. The details emerged after ministers announced on Tuesday that the capacity at Wembley would be increased to 75%, enabling 60,000 fans to attend the semi-finals and final.

The VIPs will be required to provide a negative pre-departure test and undergo testing during their stay. They will be allowed to stay in tournament hotels and travel between matches and official meetings, but will be told to limit their movements outside these permitted activities. It was unclear whether they will be allowed to dine at restaurants. 

David Davis, a former Cabinet minister,  said the decision on VIPs was “morally inconsistent”, while another MP said it was “absurd and indefensible”. 

British holidaymakers currently have to isolate at home for 10 days and pay for at least two PCR tests if they visit “Amber List” countries, from which the vast majority of the football VIPs will be coming.

On Thursday, ministers will consider exempting fully vaccinated Britons from quarantine on their return from amber destinations, but the change is not expected until after the Euro finals. Holidaymakers are also likely to still face expensive PCR tests in order to track variants.

Worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  22 June 2021 • 23.57
     
31 comments

Confessions of a Mask Wearer

A reader who wishes to remain anonymous has sent us this – an account of how they’ve been inspired by my no-more-mask declaration to follow suit.

I applaud Toby’s decision to stop wearing a mask from June 21st. Having made the same decision, I thought I would jot down some reflections on the wearing and the non-wearing of masks in these irksome times.

Perhaps more than anything else over the past 15 months, it has been the masks that have disheartened and dismayed me. The sight of hordes of mask-wearing covid zombies shuffling around the high street on a bright sunny day is a scene of bleak dystopian misery and I can only hope that future generations will regard evidence of this phenomenon with a combination of bewilderment and hilarity. Sceptics will be familiar with the arguments against masks – they don’t work; they are chiefly a psychological tool to remind us that “there’s a pandemic on”; they are a superstitious comfort blanket for the terrified and a symbolic totem for the zealous virtue signallers. I suppose at this stage in the game you either get it or you don’t, so I’m not going to dwell on the case for the prosecution.

But here’s the thing – despite hating the fetid and otiose rags with every fibre of my being, up to now I too have been wearing a mask when required! I know full well that many people have refused to wear one from the outset, and I admire their integrity. But I myself have been an abject coward. I have worn a mask in shops; on the train; when picking my son up from school. Yes, I have indulged in mild acts of subversion – the occasional baring of the nostrils; the chin dangle on the train while drinking a bottle of water that I made last for an hour. But deep down I knew that these petty acts of defiance, like a truculent schoolboy slouching around with his shirt untucked, were pathetic and ineffective.

So why did I comply? I justified it by believing that I had no choice but to obey the law. However unjust we might find any given statute, I lectured myself pompously, those of us who believe in the rule of law and the social contract that underpins our democratic society are duty bound to follow the law of the land. Otherwise the whole system will founder.

Confessions of a Mask WearerRead More

By Toby Young  /  22 June 2021 • 18.00
   
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Four Brits Develop Condition That Can Cause Paralysis After Taking AstraZeneca Covid Vaccine

Four Nottinghamshire men aged between 20 and 57 have developed a condition that can cause paralysis and can even be life-threatening shortly after taking the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The condition, called Guillain-Barré Syndrome, has also been found in people who have had the AZ vaccine in Australia and India. The MailOnline has more.

All four cases were spotted in the Nottingham area, where around 700,000 people have had the AZ coronavirus jab. 

British health chiefs have yet to offer a public breakdown of how many cases of the syndrome have been spotted in vaccine recipients across the entire country…

Cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome after AstraZeneca’s vaccine were described in two separate studies in the journal Annals of Neurology.

The complication – normally triggered by an infection – usually occurs in around one in 100,000 people in the U.K. and U.S..

But doctors in India who also uncovered the link say it was occurring up to 10 times more than expected.

One of the articles published in the journal broke down the cases spotted in Nottingham, which all occurred within ten days of each other. 

Symptoms began 11 to 22 days after the first jab and all of the four men were aged between 20 and 57.

One had no relevant medical history. The three others had ulcerative colitis, asthma and high blood pressure.

None had been infected with Covid. They were treated with antibodies and steroid pills.

Dr Christopher Allen, a Clinical Neuroscientist at Nottingham University, who wrote the article, admitted they cannot be certain the jab caused the neurological illness and it could have happened by chance.

But it demonstrates the need for “robust post-vaccination surveillance”, he said…

The second paper by neurologists at the Aster Medcity hospital in Kochi, Kerala, identified seven cases of severe Guillain-Barré syndrome.

They were struck down within a fortnight of receiving the first AstraZeneca vaccine.

Lead author Dr Boby Varkey Maramattom said rates of the condition were between 1.4 and 10-fold higher than would normally be expected. 

Worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  22 June 2021 • 17.55
     
48 comments

Flu and Pneumonia Deaths Now 10 Times Higher Than Covid Deaths

The latest data from the ONS, published today, reveals that just 84 people died of Covid in England and Wales in the week ending June 11th, less than 10% of deaths from flu and pneumonia and one of the lowest weekly totals since the pandemic began. Sarah Knapton, the Telegraph‘s Science Editor, has more.

The number of people dying with flu and pneumonia on their death certificate in England and Wales is now ten times higher than those with Covid, figures show.

Latest weekly data on deaths from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows there were just 84 deaths mentioning Covid in the week ending June 11. In contrast, there were 1,163 deaths involving flu and pneumonia.

Registered Covid deaths fell by 14% since the last update in the week ending June 4th, when there were 98 deaths recorded.

Covid deaths now make up just 0.8% of all deaths – down from 1.3% in the previous week, despite the fact that week included the late May bank holiday, which meant there were fewer death registrations.

The latest figure of 84 deaths is only the third time the weekly total has dipped below 100 since last September, and is one of the lowest since the pandemic began.

Worth reading in full.

By Toby Young  /  22 June 2021 • 15.25
   
51 comments

Travel Firm TUI Joins Airlines Suing the Government Over “Traffic Light” Travel System

Pressure is mounting on the Government to ease restrictions on overseas travel, with the travel firm TUI joining the list of airlines raising legal concerns about “inexplicable” and “shambolic” decision-making. Sky News has the story.

The travel giant said it was “inexplicable” that ministers decided to put Portugal on its “Amber List” last month – and not move the Greek and Balearic Islands, which have low Covid rates, on to the “Green List”.

Speaking at the Travel Matters conference on Tuesday, travel association ABTA also said it was considering joining TUI, Virgin Atlantic, Ryanair, British Airways’s parent group IAG, and the Manchester Airport Group in taking legal action against the Government.

Last week Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’ Leary described the Government’s international travel policy as a “shambles” and announced legal action along with a number of partners.

Andrew Flintham, TUI Managing Director, accused the Government of not listening to the industry’s needs after Aviation Minister Robert Courts failed to turn up to the conference due to a “diary clash”.

“It is incredibly disappointing that the aviation minister didn’t come to speak with us all today,” he said.

“There is no doubt the Government needs to hear what we have to say as an industry and this once again feels like a sign they’re not.”

Worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  22 June 2021 • 14.39
             
22 comments

“Big Risk” of Inflation Spiralling Out of Control as Government Borrows Another £24 Billion in May

Government borrowing came in lower than estimated in May, but there is little else in the state of the country’s economy to be cheery about. Following more than a year of lockdowns and heavy borrowing, the national debt stands at £2.2 trillion and a former Chancellor has warned there is a big risk of inflation spiralling out of control. The MailOnline has the story.

The Government was in the red by £24.3 billion last month, down from £43.8 billion a year earlier at the height of the pandemic – and crucially below the Office for Budget Responsibility’s forecasts.

However, the figure was still the second highest on record for the month and £18.9 billion more than in May 2019 before the pandemic struck, while national debt now stands at a staggering £2.2 trillion.

The grim fiscal backdrop was highlighted as former Chancellor Ken Clarke warned that there is a “big risk” of inflation running out of control – and urged Mr Sunak to raise more revenue now to make the Government less vulnerable to a resulting spike in interest payments.  

Responding to the figures, Mr Sunak reiterated his pledge to “get the public finances on a sustainable footing”.

“That’s why at the Budget in March I set out the difficult but necessary steps we are taking to keep debt under control in the years to come,” he added.

Concerns over the rebounding economy overheating and causing an inflation spike have been intensifying after the headline rate surged ahead of expectations to hit 2.1% last month.

Graphic from the MailOnline.

In the U.S. it is also at worryingly high levels, as Joe Biden pours money into stimulating the economy. 

Mr Sunak has been wrestling with Boris Johnson over how to fund ambitious “levelling up” spending commitments and a new social care plan.

Downing Street has insisted that the “triple lock” on the state pension will stay in place, even though the warping effects of furlough could mean it rises by 6% this year.  

Number 10 also says the manifesto commitment not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT in this parliament stands – even though the respected IFS think-tank says that makes it “extremely difficult” for the Chancellor to find ways of raising money.    

Worth reading in full.

By Michael Curzon  /  22 June 2021 • 11.51
           
50 comments