There is no evidence the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine needs updating to protect against variants, BioNTech has said.
In its financial and company update report, the German firm said: “To date, there is no evidence that an adaptation of BioNTech’s current Covid-19 vaccine against key identified emerging variants is necessary.”
It comes as Boris Johnson is today expected to announce that an easing of Covid restrictions will go ahead as planned in England from next Monday, May 17.
It will mean friends and family can hug and mix indoors from next week including in pubs and restaurants, while cinemas, museums and theatres can reopen, and gyms can hold group classes.
– Primary and junior high schools reopened for in-person classes in Greece Monday for the first time in months, as the country continues to ease coronavirus-related restrictions, despite daily infections and deaths remaining stubbornly high.
Courts also restarted many of their activities, with civil courts reopening to all cases and criminal courts now hearing cases involving defendants already in custody and any cases reaching the statute of limitations by the end of next year.
Long lines developed outside the courthouse in the northern city of Thessaloniki on Monday morning as lawyers, witnesses, defendants and court staff arrived for their cases.
Greece has been under coronavirus-related restrictions since early November, but has gradually begun easing the measures as it gears up for the vital summer tourist season.
– Nurse who gave world’s first Covid jab calls for day of thanks amid continued success of UK rollout
The nurse who gave the first ever Covid-19 jab has proposed a National Thank You Day after the UK reached another major vaccine milestone.
May Parsons, a matron at University Hospital Coventry, proposed that the day of thanks should take place on July 4 to show appreciation to those who have helped in the pandemic.
On December 8 2020, she made history in becoming the first person in the world to administer a coronavirus vaccination to a patient outside clinical trials.
She said: “Basically, I think we just do not say thank you enough.”
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she added: “I think it is important that we show appreciation to our colleagues who have turned up and stopped whatever they are doing just to help us.”
Actor Michael Sheen, adventurer Bear Grylls and Olympic rowing champion Dame Katherine Grainger are among others who are backing the campaign.
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