Covid restrictions may be needed again next winter, according to a scientist advising the UK Government.
Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said further restrictions could be needed in the winter if there are variants that “do escape immunity”.
“When we have got a road map, we need to be clear about where we are going,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One.
“It’s obvious that we are not really going for an elimination agenda, or at least that is fairly unlikely, unless the vaccine is a lot better than we think it might be.
“So, somehow we have got to learn to live with the virus and that really means making decisions about how many deaths and how many hospitalisations we are prepared to live with.”
But he added: “The new variants could change our equations on all of that, if we have new variants that do escape immunity and the vaccine is less effective.
“Then I think we could still be looking at the need for further restrictions, for example in the winter.”
Yesterday Professor John Edmunds said until everyone is jabbed, there remains a “significant risk of a resurgence” of the virus.
The scientist, who is a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the UK is currently in a “strong position” due to the successful vaccine programme and the Prime Minister’s pledge to offer all adults a jab by the end of July will make a “huge difference”.
However, Prof Edmunds warned it will take months to have everyone covered.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “It takes some time, it’s going to take months yet to vaccinate all of us.
“We’re all at risk and we can all spread the virus, and so until we’ve all been vaccinated – I include children here – then there is going to be significant risk of a resurgence.”
Prof Edmunds, who said he is a father of two children of secondary school age, said he believes “there is an argument for turning to children as fast as we can” in the rollout.
