Health

No 10 concerned as 4.5 million eligible people fail to get Covid jab boosters

No 10 is increasingly worried that hospitalisations and deaths among double-vaccinated people could rise due to waning immunity as an estimated 4.5 million people have failed to get their booster shots despite being eligible.

Downing Street sources told the Guardian that the gap between those eligible and those jabbed was too wide, ranking it as their major concern ahead of the winter months.

They acknowledged more needed to be done to encourage take-up as waning immunity meant more double jabbed people could get sick and were at greater risk of dying without the extra protection of the boosters.

The UK reported 293 deaths with Covid on Tuesday – the highest level since February – although the figure included all NHS England deaths from Monday owing to reporting delays. There were 33,865 daily reported cases, a drop from more than 40,000 in recent days, and 9,538 people were in hospital with Covid on Monday compared with 6,467 a month ago.

A record 1.6m boosters were delivered last week, with 7m in England since the programme started and hundreds of thousands of people booked in to receive jabs, according to NHS England. However, there are 11.5 million people eligible for their boosters, leaving a gap of 4.5 million.

John Roberts, from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, told the BBC on Tuesday expressed worries that not all those in priority groups will have had their third jabs before Christmas.

Multiple studies suggest waning immunity from vaccines. Data from Israel, where 78% of people aged 12 and older are fully vaccinated, showed a large rise in infection rates over the summer. The UK-based Zoe Covid Study app, where users can log their jabs, test results and symptoms, has suggested protection against infection after two shots of Pfizer/BioNTech decreased from 88% at one month to 74% at five to six months, while protection against infection after two Oxford/AstraZeneca jabs fell from 77% to 67% at four to five months.

Prof Tim Spector, the lead scientist on the study, said in August: “In my opinion, a reasonable worst-case scenario could see protection below 50% for the elderly and healthcare workers by winter.” A Danish study suggested the under-65s had about 80% protection for at least six months, while the over-65s had only 47% protection.

The government is pinning its hopes of avoiding further restrictions over the winter on people taking up booster jabs, which are currently offered to over-50s and those with clinical vulnerabilities who had their second jab at least six months ago. Hundreds of walk-in clinics have opened up as part of an NHS campaign.

Boris Johnson spoke about the need for people to realise the risks of not having their boosters over the weekend, saying it would be “tragic” if vulnerable people got seriously ill because they were “overconfident about their level of immunity and didn’t get their booster when they needed it”. “I think people don’t quite realise that the first two jabs do start to wane,” he said.

Roberts, from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, said that he was concerned that the first priority groups will not all have received their Covid booster jabs by Christmas, warning that this could start to filter through into hospitalisation and death numbers in the next few days. “My worry is that, at the current rate, we’re still not going to complete the first priority groups one to nine until mid-January,” he told BBC Radio 4.

“And that’s going to mean that there’s going to be a lot of mixing over Christmas with festive behaviour before and then on the day of people who haven’t got that extra protection from the booster, which really does make a huge difference. The analysis that we’re getting from Israel is that it will probably reduce deaths by 80 or 90% even. So it’s important that we get on with it as quickly as possible.”

An NHS spokesperson said: “It is vital people come forward as quickly as possible – there are appointments available across the country and people can book in through the national booking service or use one of the hundreds of walk-in vaccination sites.”

Health

Akwa Ibom records five monkeypox cases

The Akwa Ibom State Government has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of monkeypox in the state, with five confirmed cases recorded so far.

The government has urged residents to be vigilant as the disease spreads across local government areas.

During an update on Friday, September 6, the state government revealed that out of 30 samples collected for diagnosis, five tested positive. The initial four confirmed cases included three males and one female, aged 2, 4, 12, and 41.

Samuel Etuk, the official in charge of disease surveillance and notification at the state Ministry of Health, confirmed the fifth case and noted that contact tracing efforts are underway while the affected individuals are in isolation.

Etuk provided details at a Media Review Meeting organized by Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N) in collaboration with the State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (STBLCP).

He emphasized the importance of community involvement in monitoring the disease, with 10 informants engaged in each of the state’s 368 political wards to report cases to health authorities.

Etuk explained that Mpox can be transmitted from animals to humans (a zoonotic process), as well as through direct or indirect human contact. Transmission can occur through contact with urine, blood, faeces, skin lesions, and oral secretions.

Symptoms of Mpox typically appear after an incubation period of 5 to 21 days and include fever, headaches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, rashes, and muscle pain. The rashes often start on the face and spread to other parts of the body.

To prevent further spread, residents are advised to avoid contact with sick animals or humans, maintain proper hygiene, and report any suspected cases to health authorities or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Etuk reminded the public that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared Mpox a global public health emergency of international concern in August 2024, signaling the need for heightened awareness and preventive measures.

Health

FG to establish blood collection centres in 774 LGAs

The Federal Government has announced plans to establish Blood Collection Centres in all 774 local government areas, including the FCT, to ensure availability of blood during medical emergencies and transfusions.

Abdullahi Haruna, Head, Media and Publicity, National Blood Service Agency (NBSA), made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Prof. Saleh Yuguda, the Director-General, NBSA, as reiterating government’s commitment towards addressing blood shortages in the country as the initiative would save lives.

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“We are working tirelessly to ensure that blood needs are adequately addressed, and this initiative is a significant step towards achieving that goal.

“NBSA has partnered with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to establish a formidable blood bank at the Corp’s medical facility.

“This collaboration aims to mitigate blood shortages during medical emergencies and provide critical support to sister security agencies,” he said.

He explained that to kickstart the blood collection project, the FCT will host strategic blood collection facilities in easily accessible locations.

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“This move is expected to increase blood donation rates and ensure a steady supply of blood for medical purposes.

“The establishment of blood collection centers across Nigeria is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the country’s healthcare system.

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“As the project rolls out, Nigerians should expect improved access to blood transfusions and better health outcomes,” he said.

The statement also disclosed that the Deputy Commandant Emeka Okeke of the NSCDC said: “this initiative will play a vital role in addressing blood shortages and saving lives.”

Health

WHO sets targets to end Mpox outbreaks in Africa

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has set a target of halting mpox outbreaks in Africa within the next six months.

This announcement came as the first vaccine shipments are expected to arrive in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, in the coming days.

Africa, particularly the DRC, with over 18,000 suspected cases and 629 deaths, has received only a fraction of the vaccines to combat the virus.

At a press briefing on Monday, September 2, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed confidence in ending the outbreaks, citing strong government leadership and collaborative partnerships.

In August, WHO declared mpox outbreaks a global emergency to spur a more robust international response even though a new strain of mpox known as clade1b, has been identified in many countries, including Burundi, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya.

The potentially more contagious variant of the virus was detected in Congo in May, prompting heightened concerns among health officials.

WHO estimates that approximately 230,000 vaccines could soon be sent to Congo and other affected countries. The WHO is also implementing educational campaigns to inform people in outbreak areas about preventing the spread of the disease.

Africa’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it aims to receive 380,000 vaccine doses from donors, including the US and the EU, which falls short of the quantity required to eradicate the outbreaks.