Covid-19 news: Study finds benefits of teen vaccination outweigh risks

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By Michael Le Page , Clare Wilson , Jessica Hamzelou , Sam Wong , Graham Lawton , Adam Vaughan , Conrad Quilty-Harper and Layal Liverpool

Latest coronavirus quality arsenic of 12pm connected 30 September

Analysis supports vaccinating children aged 12 to 17

The benefits of offering 2 doses of covid-19 vaccine to each children aged 12 to 17 successful England intelligibly outweigh the risks fixed the existent precocious lawsuit rates, according to a caller analysis. Children aged 12 to 15 are presently being offered lone 1 dose of covid-19 vaccine unless they are considered precocious risk.

Researchers estimated the covid-19 infirmary admissions and deaths, positive cases of long covid, that would beryllium prevented implicit 4 months by afloat vaccinating each children successful this property group. On 15 September, the lawsuit complaint among 10 to 19-year-olds successful England stood astatine 680 cases per 100,000. If the complaint rises to 1000 per 100,000, vaccination could avert 4420 infirmary admissions and 36 deaths implicit a 16-week period, the survey estimated. At a little lawsuit complaint of 50 per 100,000, vaccination could avert 70 admissions and 2 deaths implicit the aforesaid period.

Vaccination would avert betwixt 8000 and 56,000 cases of agelong covid, the survey suggests, assuming that betwixt 2 and 14 per cent of teenagers with covid-19 spell connected to acquisition agelong covid. The survey volition beryllium published contiguous successful the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

“This investigation shows that, connected objective risks alone, vaccination is warranted for 12 to 17-year-olds successful England,” said Deepti Gurdasani of Queen Mary University of London, pb writer of the study. “While we hold to recognize the semipermanent effects of covid-19 connected children, the precautionary rule advocates for protecting each children from vulnerability to this microorganism and vaccination is simply a important portion of that protection.”

The complaint of coronavirus transmission successful the UK is presently thought to beryllium highest among secondary schoolhouse property children, with 2.8 per cent successful this radical investigating affirmative successful the astir recent figures from the Office for National Statistics connected 18 September.

The UK Joint Committee connected Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) antecedently decided that, portion the benefits of vaccination of children aged 12 to 15 bash outweigh the risks, those benefits aren’t large capable to warrant a vaccination programme for this property group. However, it wasn’t successful the JCVI’s remit to see however vaccination of 12-to-15-year-olds would forestall schoolhouse absences oregon curb the dispersed of the microorganism successful communities. Taking factors similar these into account, the UK’s Chief Medical Officers recommended that 12-to-15-year-olds beryllium offered a azygous dose of the vaccine.

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The UK government’s furlough scheme, which has helped wage the wages of 11.6 cardinal workers since the commencement of the pandemic, is ending today. Nearly 1 cardinal workers were expected to beryllium inactive connected the strategy astatine the extremity of September, according to the Office for National Statistics. Economists person predicted that the extremity of the strategy volition pb to a emergence successful the complaint of unemployment, which stood astatine 4.6 per cent past month.

YouTube says it volition region videos that incorporate misinformation astir each vaccines, expanding its policies astir wellness misinformation which had been strengthened during the coronavirus pandemic. The Google-owned video level said its prohibition connected covid-19 vaccine misinformation, which was introduced past year, has seen 130,000 videos removed truthful acold arsenic a result, but much scope is needed to clamp down connected broader mendacious claims astir different vaccines appearing online. Under the caller rules, immoderate contented which falsely alleges that immoderate approved vaccine is unsafe and causes chronic wellness problems volition beryllium removed, arsenic volition videos that see misinformation astir the contented of vaccines.

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New Scientist Weekly features updates and investigation connected the latest developments successful the covid-19 pandemic. Our podcast sees adept journalists from the mag sermon the biggest subject stories to deed the headlines each week – from exertion and space, to wellness and the environment.

The Jump is simply a BBC vigor 4 bid exploring however viruses tin transverse from animals into humans to origin pandemics. The archetypal occurrence examines the origins of the covid-19 pandemic.

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Panorama: The Race for a Vaccine is simply a BBC documentary astir the wrong communicative of the improvement of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against covid-19.

Race Against the Virus: Hunt for a Vaccine is simply a Channel 4 documentary which tells the communicative of the coronavirus pandemic done the eyes of the scientists connected the frontline.

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Humans of COVID-19 is simply a task highlighting the experiences of cardinal workers connected the frontline successful the combat against coronavirus successful the UK, done societal media.

Belly Mujinga: Searching for the Truth is simply a BBC Panorama probe of the decease of transport idiosyncratic Belly Mujinga from covid-19, pursuing reports she had been coughed and spat connected by a lawsuit astatine London’s Victoria Station.

Coronavirus, Explained connected Netflix is simply a abbreviated documentary bid examining the coronavirus pandemic, the efforts to combat it and ways to negociate its intelligence wellness toll.

COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened, and How to Stop the Next One by Debora Mackenzie is astir however the pandemic happened and wherefore it volition hap again if we don’t bash things otherwise successful future.

The Rules of Contagion is astir the caller subject of contagion and the astonishing ways it shapes our lives and behaviour. The author, Adam Kucharski, is an epidemiologist astatine the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK, and successful the publication helium examines however diseases dispersed and wherefore they stop.

Previous updates

29 September

Over a 3rd of radical recovering from covid-19 person astatine slightest 1 long covid grounds betwixt 3 and 6 months aft infection, a study has found. The uncovering is based connected wellness records from implicit 270,000 radical successful the US. The astir communal reported symptoms were anxiousness oregon depression, successful 15 per cent of participants who’d had covid-19, followed by abnormal breathing and abdominal symptoms, some seen successful 8 per cent, and fatigue, successful 6 per cent.

These symptoms are not needfully related to covid-19, but the survey compared their prevalence successful radical recovering from covid-19 and successful radical who’d had influenza, and recovered that, together, a acceptable of 9 symptoms were 1.5 times much communal aft covid-19 than aft the flu. Long covid symptoms were somewhat much communal successful women than successful men, and much communal successful those who had been hospitalised.

Attempts to estimation the prevalence of agelong covid person produced wide varying results, depending connected however the information is defined and measured. Recent figures from the UK Office for National Statistics suggested that 11.7 per cent of radical who tested affirmative for covid-19 described themselves arsenic experiencing agelong covid 12 weeks aft infection, but lone 3 per cent experienced symptoms continuously for astatine slightest 12 weeks.

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People receiving a 3rd dose of coronavirus vaccine acquisition akin rates of broadside effects to those receiving their 2nd dose, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Out of 12,500 radical who completed a survey, 79 per cent reported section reactions specified arsenic itching oregon symptom astatine the injection site, portion 74 per cent reported systemic reactions, which were chiefly fatigue, musculus aches and headaches.

Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted proceedings data for their covid-19 vaccine successful 5-to-11-year-olds to the US medicines regulator, and accidental they volition marque a ceremonial petition for exigency authorisation successful coming weeks.

The Scottish authorities volition hold the enforcement of vaccine passports by 2 weeks, archetypal curate Nicola Sturgeon has said, giving businesses until 18 October to comply with the caller law. People implicit 18 volition person to amusement impervious of vaccination to be a nightclub oregon ample lawsuit nether the policy.

28 September

Survey of children successful England finds younger ages much hesitant astir vaccination

Younger children look to beryllium little consenting to person a covid-19 vaccination than older teenagers, according to a survey of much than 27,000 students aged betwixt 9 and 18 successful England. Overall, fractional the respondents said they were consenting to person a coronavirus vaccination, 37 per cent said they were undecided and 13 per cent said they wanted to opt out. However, conscionable implicit a 3rd of nine-year-olds said they are consenting to person a covid-19 jab, compared with 51 per cent of 13-year-olds and 78 per cent of 17-year-olds.

The survey was carried retired successful schools crossed Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Merseyside betwixt May and July this twelvemonth by researchers astatine the University of Oxford, University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge. The findings travel aft 12-to-15-year-olds successful England and Scotland past week started to get vaccinated.

Young radical who judge they person had covid-19 already were much apt to accidental they volition opt retired of having a vaccine, the survey found. Students who were much hesitant astir getting the jab were besides much apt to be schools successful deprived areas, study spending longer connected societal media, and accidental they consciousness arsenic though they did not place with their schoolhouse community.

Researchers are calling for much resources and accusation to beryllium provided to communities and students to guarantee young radical cognize the covid-19 vaccine is safe. They accidental wellness messaging astir vaccine information and its effects connected children should beryllium shared by trusted sources connected societal media.

The survey recovered that the bulk of youngsters who said they were hesitant astir getting the vaccine were inactive undecided. “That is simply a immense accidental for us, but it besides suggests that determination is risk,” said Russell Viner, a survey writer from UCL. “Young radical are perchance susceptible to those pushing views that are precise powerfully opposed to vaccination.”

Some headteachers person reportedly been targeted by hoax letters with misinformation astir the vaccine programme, which see a fake NHS logo and a “consent checklist” to stock with students. A schoolhouse successful Ampthill, Bedfordshire, has apologised for passing the missive connected to parents successful error.

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Smokers are 80 per cent much apt to beryllium admitted to infirmary and importantly much apt to dice from covid-19 than non-smokers, caller probe shows. The study, published successful the diary Thorax, is the archetypal of its benignant to look astatine some observational and familial information connected smoking and coronavirus. It included 421,469 participants successful the UK Biobank study, with result information up to 18 August 2020. The results showed that, compared with never-smokers, existent smokers were doubly arsenic apt to dice with covid-19 if they smoked 1 to 9 cigarettes a day, portion those smoking 10 to 19 cigarettes a time were astir six times much apt to die. People who smoked much than 20 a time were implicit six times much apt to dice compared to radical who had ne'er smoked.

Vaccine passports would beryllium required for those attending nightclubs, euphony venues, festivals and sports grounds successful England nether the government’s autumn and wintertime contingency Plan B. The projected plan, published today, volition lone beryllium introduced if the state faces a hard wintertime with rising covid-19 cases successful the colder months, the authorities said. The authorities is asking for views from businesses, lawsuit organisers, and venue operators connected its proposals by 12 October.

27 September

Neutralising antibodies successful bosom beverage whitethorn support infants from covid-19 infection

Breastfeeding women who person had covid-19 secrete neutralising antibodies against the microorganism into their bosom beverage for up to 10 months aft infection, according to probe presented astatine a conference. Rebecca Powell astatine Mount Sinai Hospital successful New York and her colleagues analysed bosom beverage samples from 75 women who had recovered from a covid-19 infection. They recovered that 88 per cent of the samples contained antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and successful astir cases they were susceptible of neutralising the virus.

The findings, presented astatine the Global Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium connected 21 September, suggest that breastfeeding could assistance to support babies from getting infected with covid-19. This is known to beryllium the lawsuit for different respiratory diseases specified arsenic influenza and pertussis. While young children are astatine little hazard from terrible covid-19 than adults, astir 1 successful 10 infants beneath the property of 1 necessitate infirmary attraction if they are infected. Antibodies extracted from bosom beverage could besides beryllium utilized arsenic a therapy for adults with covid-19, Powell told The Guardian.

The survey besides recovered that the bulk of women who had the Pfizer/BioNTech oregon Moderna vaccines besides had coronavirus-specific antibodies successful their bosom milk, but little levels of antibodies were seen successful beverage from women who had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This supports erstwhile probe suggesting that vaccinations for breastfeeding mothers tin assistance to support their babies from covid-19 infection, though this has not yet been demonstrated conclusively.

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The covid-19 pandemic has led to the biggest autumn successful beingness expectancy successful occidental Europe since the 2nd satellite war, researchers person found. The study, published successful the International Journal of Epidemiology, included information from 29 countries, 22 of which saw a driblet successful beingness expectancy that was greater than fractional a twelvemonth successful 2020. The effects were larger for men than women successful astir countries. Men successful the US saw the biggest fall, with 2.2 years taken disconnected their beingness expectancy successful 2020 compared with 2019.

Australian authorities person announced plans to assistance restrictions gradually successful Sydney, which has been successful lockdown since June. Restaurants, retail stores and gyms tin statesman to reopen connected 11 October, but lone radical who are afloat vaccinated volition beryllium allowed to resume shopping, eating out, and immoderate different activities. Around 60 per cent of radical aged 16 and implicit are presently afloat vaccinated successful the authorities of New South Wales.

24 September

Deaths from covid-19 pb to driblet successful beingness expectancy for boys calved successful UK

Life expectancy for men successful the UK has fallen for the archetypal clip successful 4 decades, owed to the interaction of the covid-19 pandemic. New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that a lad calved betwixt 2018 and 2020 is expected to unrecorded for 79 years, compared with 79.2 years for births betwixt 2015 and 2017. For women, beingness expectancy remains unchanged astatine 82.9 years. The estimates are calculated based connected existent mortality rates, which were unusually precocious successful 2020, particularly for men.

The figures bash not mean a babe calved successful 2018-2020 volition unrecorded a shorter life, says Pamela Cobb from the ONS Centre for Ageing and Demography. “To get a amended estimation of this we request to see however mortality and truthful beingness expectancy volition amended into the future. It volition beryllium respective years earlier we recognize the impact, if any, of coronavirus connected this,” she says.

Other coronavirus news

Covid-19 vaccines person prevented 123,100 deaths successful England, according to caller estimates. The figures, which person been calculated by Public Health England and the University of Cambridge, screen the play up to 17 September. Previous estimates had enactment the fig astatine 112,300 deaths. Around 23.9 cardinal infections person besides been prevented by the vaccine rollout, on with 230,800 infirmary admissions among radical aged 45 and over. More than 89 per cent of each radical aged 16 and implicit successful England person present received astatine slightest 1 dose of vaccine, portion astir 82 per cent are afloat vaccinated.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed booster vaccines for radical aged 65 and implicit and those with underlying wellness conditions, pursuing the authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration connected Wednesday. The CDC’s sheet of advisers declined to enactment booster vaccines for radical successful jobs with a precocious hazard of vulnerability to the virus, specified arsenic healthcare workers, but CDC manager Rochelle Walensky decided to see this class successful the agency’s recommendation. The proposal applies to radical who person already had 2 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine astatine slightest six months ago.

23 September

US regulator authorises boosters for older people, but rejects broader rollout

The US medicines regulator has authorised coronavirus booster vaccines for radical aged 65 and over, radical astatine precocious hazard of terrible illness and those who are regularly exposed to the virus, specified arsenic healthcare workers. The determination means that these groups tin commencement to person a 3rd dose of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine 6 months aft their 2nd dose. Those who person had different vaccines volition person to hold for further approvals.

Pfizer had asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to let other doses for each radical aged 16 and over, but the FDA sheet concluded that determination was insufficient grounds to enactment boosters for the wider colonisation beyond high-risk groups. A abstracted advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which determines US vaccine policy, is expected to contented guidance contiguous which whitethorn see recommendations connected which groups should suffice arsenic precocious risk. The US has already fixed other vaccines to implicit 2 cardinal radical with compromised immune systems.

Other coronavirus news

The US volition donate 500 cardinal much covid-19 vaccines to different countries, president Joe Biden has announced astatine a virtual acme connected the pandemic, bringing the country’s full donations to implicit 1 cardinal doses. Delivery of the caller tranche volition statesman successful January. At a United Nations General Assembly gathering yesterday, leaders from processing nations including the Philippines, Peru and Ghana condemned wealthier nations for failing to stock vaccines equitably.

New question rules for England that necessitate travellers from immoderate countries to quarantine adjacent if they are afloat vaccinated person sparked outrage and bewilderment, The Guardian reports. Under the rules, travellers to England who person been afloat vaccinated with Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna oregon Janssen vaccines successful the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea oregon a European Union state are exempt from quarantine, but radical who received the aforesaid vaccines successful different countries indispensable quarantine for 10 days aft arrival. Doctors and politicians from India, Brazil and Nigeria are among those who person expressed choler astir the rules.

Latest connected coronavirus from New Scientist

Winter forecast: A authorities technological advisory committee has said that the fig of radical successful England admitted to infirmary with the coronavirus could emergence to betwixt 2000 and 7000 a time implicit the adjacent fewer months. Here’s why the predictions for wintertime are truthful bleak, contempt precocious vaccination rates.

22 September

More than 1 successful a 100 schoolhouse children successful England person covid-19, but absences are little than successful July due to the fact that full classes nary longer isolate

About 1.2 per cent of schoolhouse children successful England were absent owed to confirmed oregon suspected covid-19 connected 16 September, according to caller figures from the UK’s Department for Education. This compares with 1.0 per cent successful July earlier schools closed for the summertime holidays. Most schools reopened successful September having removed immoderate societal distancing restrictions, including mask-wearing and keeping children wrong “bubbles” – tiny groups usually consisting of 1 oregon a fewer classes. Under this strategy the full bubble would bel sent location to isolate if 1 subordinate tested positive. Now, under-18s bash not person to enactment astatine location and isolate if they person been successful interaction with idiosyncratic who has tested affirmative – lone if they themselves make symptoms oregon person a affirmative trial result.

The caller rules mean that portion determination is presently a higher complaint of covid-19 infections among under-18s, less children person to miss schoolhouse due to the fact that of isolation rules. The full complaint of covid-19-related absences was 1.5 per cent connected 16 September, compared with 14.3 per cent successful July. “These nationalist figures disguise immoderate important issues arising astatine a section level, and we already cognize of schools that are struggling to support classes unfastened owed to outbreaks occurring,” Paul Whiteman, wide caput of the National Association of Head Teachers told The Guardian.

Other coronavirus news

Australia volition reopen its borders for planetary question by Christmas astatine the latest, the country’s Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said today. Meanwhile successful the authorities of Victoria, teachers and childcare workers person been told that they indispensable beryllium afloat vaccinated against covid-19 earlier they instrumentality to enactment adjacent month.

The Johnson & Johnson “single-dose” covid-19 vaccine is much effectual aft 2 doses, the steadfast said yesterday. A 2nd dose of the jab fixed 8 weeks aft the archetypal led to radical being 94 per cent little apt to get a symptomatic corruption compared with those who were unvaccinated, successful a US trial. Just 1 dose was 66 per cent effectual successful the archetypal period aft vaccination. Giving the 2nd dose six months aft the archetypal led to an even higher emergence successful antibodies.

See erstwhile updates from June to July 2021, May 2021, April-March 2021, February 2021, January 2021, November/December 2020, and March to November 2020.