Covid: JCVI scientists will announce the decision to apply a booster

The UK’s Vaccine Advisory Council will later announce whether to support the expansion of the Covid strengthening system. So far, nine cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in the UK, and number 10 have implemented measures to limit it.

Prof. Anthony Harden, the Joint Vaccination and Immunization Committee (JCVI). Said it “makes sense” to reduce the time between doses and increase the booster dose for people under the age of 40.

Procedures on face masks and isolation rules will be presented to parliament later.

The JCVI only advises governments, and the final decision on measures to combat Covid is always in the hands of politics. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that he will await recommendations from the committee’s scientific experts. His recommendations will be announced at a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street at 15:00 GMT.

The briefing will be given by the UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Jonathan Van-Tam, Prof. Wei Shen Lim, President of JCVI, and Dr. June Raine, Chief Executive of the Drug and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of G7 health ministers will take place “to discuss developments on Omicron,” the health ministry said.

Preliminary evidence suggests that the new version of Omicron reported initially to the World Health Organization in South Africa on Wednesday carries a higher risk of reinfection. The Scottish government announced Monday morning that six variant cases had been identified in Scotland. Four in Lanarkshire and two in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde regions.

Some of the cases identified in Scotland have not traveled and have been infected with the community. Deputy Prime Minister John Sweeney told the Good Morning Scotland. The UK’s first case – drawn from an analysis of recent positive tests for Covid across the country was confirmed in Essex and Nottingham on Saturday.

The third case identified on Sunday came from a visitor living in Westminster, London, for some time, even though the person was no longer in the UK, the Health Safety Administration said.

The agency said it was “very likely” that more cases would be found in the coming days. Analyzer box from James Gallagher, health and science correspondent. You may wonder what is the point of a booster dose if the current vaccine against Omicron is less effective?

Vaccines teach your body to recognize the original coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China. Omicron mutations are like masks to sneak past your bodyguards. But the increase is equivalent to hiring more security officers as compensation.

You have more important components of the immune system. Such as antibodies and T cells, circulating in the body to increase your chances of seeing through the mask of the virus. If Omicron is a problem, a refresher is the quickest way to increase human protection. As it will take about 100 days to update the vaccine if (and essential) proves necessary.