Hancock: All adults to be offered Covid jab by end of July

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government believes it has enough vaccine supplies to meet the new target of offering all adults a Covid jab by the end of July.

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  • Covid vaccine side-effects up to three times more common in those who have had virus

    Vaccine side-effects are seen up to three times more often in people who have previously been infected with coronavirus, new figures show. The latest data from the King's College ZOE app, which has logged details from more than 700,000 vaccinations, found those with a prior infection were far more likely to report side-effects than people who have not had the virus. The difference between the two was particularly pronounced among those who had been given the Pfizer jab. More severe side-effects are often a sign of better immunity, and emerging research suggests just one dose of vaccine gives a similar protective effect to two doses in people who have had a previous infection. Experts have now started to question whether people with prior immunity from a natural infection need a second dose at all. The ZOE data shows that 12.2 per cent of people reported side-effects after their first Pfizer jab, but that jumped to 35.7 per cent of those with a previous infection. For the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, 31.9 per cent of people reported symptoms following their first vaccine, rising to 52.7 per cent of those who had previously been diagnosed with diagnosed with the virus. Most people reported muscle aches, feeling groggy or headaches.

  • Billboards appear in Scotland's largest cities urging Nicola Sturgeon to resign

    Billboards urging Nicola Sturgeon to "resign" appeared on Friday in Scotland's three largest cities after she indicated she would refuse to quit even if an inquiry found she broke the ministerial code in the Alex Salmond scandal. The "#ResignSturgeon" message appeared on electronic advertising boards in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen as part of a campaign by Unionist groups The Majority and Scotland Matters. It also featured on an aerial banner flown over the Scottish Parliament building and Edinburgh city centre, and later Glasgow city centre. The Majority said they represented "the silent majority" of Scots who are "angry and frustrated by Nicola Sturgeon’s shenanigans". Alan Sutherland from Scotland Matters said: "We call on the First Minister to do the right thing for Scotland: resign and let us focus on recovery from the pandemic. "She has done great damage to our country and Parliament’s reputation, here and abroad, by conducting an undignified, very public dispute with her former SNP colleague, while preventing the Salmond enquiry from seeing evidence that is crucial to a proper investigation."

  • Exclusive: Charity Commission reviewing Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal organisation

    The Charity Commission is conducting a review of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's philanthropic organisation, The Telegraph can disclose. Well-placed sources have told The Telegraph the watchdog is examining how Sussex Royal was run and whether it complied with charity law. The "regulatory and compliance case" is understood to be looking at concerns about the charity before the royal couple decided to shut it down last July following their move to America. A Charity Commission spokesman said: "Our regulatory compliance case is ongoing. We cannot comment further." It came as the latest teaser clip was released from the couple's Oprah Winfrey interview, which is set to air in the US on Sunday night and on Monday in the UK. In it, the Duchess said it felt "liberating" to be able to speak and accused the Royal Family of effectively gagging her and taking away that choice.

  • NHS trusts urged to hold one to one talks with vaccine hesitant staff amid low uptake

    Uptake across health and social care sector has lagged despite group being prioritised for jabs

  • Huge emergency response in Welsh town after major incident with 'number of casualties'

    Police have urged people to avoid Baglan Street in Treorchy, South Wales.

  • I’m a big Meghan fan — and even I’m losing patience

    In response to their upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, headlines are blaring, Twitter trolls are seething and Piers Morgan is frothing at the mouth. As the self-appointed chairwoman of the Meghan fan club, I always have and always will be rooting for her and Prince Harry. Marrying into the royal family has been tough for Meghan; she’s been criticised for everything from what colour she paints her nails to how often she rubs her pregnancy bump.

  • Boris Johnson rebukes EU over AstraZeneca blockade as France signals it 'could follow Italy'

    Boris Johnson has accused Brussels of endangering global efforts to combat the covid-19 pandemic, as France signalled it could follow Italy and block AstraZeneca vaccines leaving the EU. Downing Street suggested the European Commission had reneged on previous assurances it had made, after it approved Italy’s request to stop 250,000 jabs destined for Australia from leaving the country. A “frustrated” and “disappointed” Australia has also demanded a review of the decision, and has sought assurances from Brussels that future vaccine shipments will go ahead. The blockade is the first time that EU-wide export controls, which require manufacturers to seek permission from the national authorities and Commission to export vaccines outside the bloc, have been used. It has already led France to threaten similar action, as member states seek to catch up with other nations which have surged ahead in their vaccination programmes. Defending the move on Friday the Commission’s chief spokesman said that it was necessary to send a “message” to AstraZeneca over its failure to hit its contractual targets with the bloc. He added: “The EU continues to be a leading provider of vaccines around the world. During the period from 30 January to 1 March, 174 requests for exports requested in the context of the Regulation have been approved by the Member States.”

  • ‘I collided with the establishment’: Inside the Wallis and Edward TV interview that rocked the monarchy five decades before Meghan and Harry

    Harry and Meghan’s upcoming Oprah interview recalls the last time two royal exiles agreed to a televised sit down with the BBC in 1970

  • Travellers must carry permit to go abroad or face fines in illegal trips crackdown

    Staycation prices a third higher in holiday hotspots this year When can I go on holiday? What Med destinations will look like this summer The countries already rolling out vaccine passports Sign up to the Telegraph Travel newsletter Passengers travelling overseas from England will be required to complete and carry a 'Declaration to Travel' form, starting from Monday. Airlines, ferry companies and train operators will be legally obliged to explain on their websites that the document must be filled out before travelling. They will then check that passengers have completed the form before they board – individuals who have not done so may not be allowed to join the service they have booked. Anyone identified by police as trying to travel overseas for reasons that are not currently permitted will be asked to return home and they risk receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaking non-essential travel rules. These fines start at £200 and double for each incident; they can go up to a maximum of £6,400. This measure is a "necessary step to protect the public and our world-class vaccination programme", Home Secretary Priti Patel told parliament in January; the details, however, were not published until Friday, some 40 days after it was announced. The form is not required for travel within the UK, to Ireland, to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, the government's guidance states. Different border rules apply for travel abroad from the devolved administrations. Foreign holidays are currently prohibited under lockdown legislation, and will not be permitted from England until May 17 – at the earliest. All travellers returning to England are subject to a 10 day quarantine, with arrivals from red-listed countries required to pay up to £1,750 for a stay in a designated hotel. Scroll down for the latest travel updates.

  • Gavin Williamson considering possibility of ‘five-term year’ as schools in England set to return

    Education secretary said government should ‘never be nervous’ about new ways of doing things

  • Vaccine shortage to shut down some centres next week and delay second-dose jabs

    Exclusive: Appointments to be cancelled and new slots unavailable in east Midlands, ahead of significant supply boost in following week

  • Pfizer or AstraZeneca? Vaccine snobbery is becoming a serious problem

    It is time to stop this nonsense – the best vaccine you can get is the one you’re offered on the day

  • Meghan and Harry are the victims here – but the royal family refuse to see it

    The Duchess of Sussex is a woman who fell in love with a man. That’s it. Unfortunately for her, this man happened to be a British prince

  • Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have barely spoken since leaving the White House: report

    It remains unclear whether the former president has given his son-in-law the boot from his political inner circle, or if the 40-year-old chose to take some time off himself

  • Nadine Dorries says £6 a week pay rise for nurses 'all we can afford' after spending £37bn on failing Test and Trace

    Nadine Dorries said £6 a week pay rise for nurses was all the government could afford, despite spending £37bn on the criticised test and trace system.

  • Rules around outdoor mixing set to ease next week as Scotland ‘absolutely intent’ on hosting Euros at Hampden

    Nicola Sturgeon has expressed optimism that rules on outdoor meetings will soon be relaxed and Scottish football fans will be allowed into Hampden to watch the national team play in this summer's European Championships. Speaking as the number of daily Covid cases dropped to their lowest levels since September, the First Minister said she was keen "to get more potential to see loved ones" and would set out more details at Holyrood on Tuesday next week. Praising Scotland’s progress in driving down the spread of the virus, Ms Sturgeon announced 498 cases in the past 24 hours - the lowest daily total since September 27. She said there could be an announcement on "relatively minor, but important changes to the rules around our ability to meet people outdoors, and also on how young people are able to interact with friends outdoors". The Scottish Government's updated plan for moving out of lockdown says that a plan to allow four people from two households to meet outdoors is unlikely to begin before March 15, with the same date given for the resumption for non-contact, outdoor group sports for 12-17 year olds. Ms Sturgeon also said she was hopeful that she will be at Hampden to cheer on Scotland in Euro 2020, the team's first international tournament in 22 years. “I certainly hope so and nobody wants Scotland to lose the Euros and I don’t think we should be in the position right now of thinking that’s the case,” she said.

  • UK aims to 'offer Covid-19 vaccine to all adults by end of July', minister says

    In an interview with FRANCE 24, UK Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the country hopes to offer inoculations to all adults by the end of July. He also discussed the slow rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines in France and the controversy surrounding the AstraZeneca jabs in Europe.

  • Premier League ace Abdoulaye Doucouré caught driving £170k Lamborghini with no insurance in north London

    Police seized a £170,000 Lamborghini from Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré after he was caught driving the car through north London without insurance, a court heard. Doucouré was “shocked” when shown the speed gun reading, Bromley magistrates heard, suggesting he may have been confused because the speedometer on his French car is in km. On July 2, he was then pulled over in his wife’s Lamborghini Urus in Dartmouth Park Hill when driving without insurance.

  • Britney Spears shares hilarious shower performance of Toxic for boyfriend Sam Asghari’s birthday

    It’s leaving fans very entertained

  • Trump calls on Biden to finish his border wall in furious statement on immigration policy

    White House says ‘we don’t take our advice or counsel from former President Trump’