Covid jabs for under-30s 'by the end of the week'

Covid jabs for under-30s ‘by the end of the week’: Younger people are set to be offered vaccine as Matt Hancock says it’s ‘looking good’ for Freedom Day on June 21

• Britons in their twenties could be offered Coronavirus vaccines in next few days
• NHS lowered eligibility age three times last week and it is currently at ages 32-33
• Public Health England says Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs work on Indian variant

Coronavirus vaccines could be offered to those in their twenties within days as the rollout continues at pace.

And in more good news – a new study suggests the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are effective against the Indian variant.

The jabs combat the new mutant almost as well as the Kent strain, a study by Public Health England found.

People in their twenties could be given the Covid vaccine in the coming days a the rollout’s success continues

Matt Hancock said the findings were ‘groundbreaking’ – raising hopes restrictions can end as planned on June 21.

The Health Secretary also celebrated the UK yesterday passing an ‘incredible milestone’ after 60million doses were administered. It comes after the NHS gave a record number of second doses on Saturday, latest figures show.

The NHS lowered the eligibility age for the jab three times last week with those aged 32 and 33 the latest to benefit.

This is expected to be lowered to 30 early this week and officials believe they can drop it even further soon after.

A source said: ‘The vaccine programme has been progressing at a rate of knots, getting to ever younger age groups, while continuing to offer second doses at a record pace.

‘If all goes to plan, everyone in their thirties will hopefully have received their invite for a jab within 72 hours or so, with some in their twenties being called forward within the next week to ten days.’

The PHE study showed that the Pfizer vaccine was 88 per cent effective against symptomatic disease from the Indian variant two weeks after the second dose. This compares with 93 per cent against the Kent variant.

The AstraZeneca jab was also found to be 60 per cent effective against the Indian variant after two doses and 66 per cent effective against the Kent strain. 

But both vaccines were only 33 per cent effective against the Indian variant three weeks after one dose, compared with 50 per cent for Kent.

Matt Hancock said the findings surrounding the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs working on the Indian variant were ‘groundbreaking’

The chief of the UK Health Security Agency also said that the prospect of all Covid restrictions being lifted next month is ‘looking good’.

Dr Jenny Harries told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: ‘It’s looking good if people are continuing to observe all of the safety signals – so we should not stop doing what we’re doing.’

Five more deaths were reported yesterday within 28 days of a positive Covid test, taking the total to 127,721. There were also 2,235 new lab-confirmed cases, with the tally now standing at 4,462,538. 

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