Boris Johnson has received his first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine at St Thomas’ Hospital in London.
He confirmed at a Downing Street press conference this week that “the Oxford jab is safe and the Pfizer jab is safe: the thing that isn’t safe is catching Covid”.
Meanwhile, a government adviser has warned ministers that a surge in coronavirus infections is inevitable if British people are allowed abroad on holiday, urging them to “learn from” mistakes made last year.
Professor Peter Openshaw raised the alarm over Mr Johnson’s plan to lift the ban on foreign travel as early as 17 May, amid a boom in bookings and an expectation that trips will be allowed.
The latest infection data showed the number of coronavirus cases is continuing to fall across the UK – but the rate could be slowing, with some parts of England showing a potential increase. The Office for National Statistics said the latest weekly data for last week represented a mixed picture.
Read more:
- France announces new Paris lockdown measures amid soaring Covid cases
- France, Italy and Germany resume use of AstraZeneca vaccine after UK and EU regulators declare it ‘safe’
- ‘On bad days I can’t stand up in the shower: I am 31 and have had long Covid since March 2020’
- Is the AstraZeneca vaccine safe?
