Britain’s Covid deaths fall by 42% with just 22 more victims added to official tally – while cases drop by 4% to 2,396 even though MORE testing is being carried out
- 107,622 first vaccine doses were dished out yesterday, taking the total number to have had a jab to 33.1million
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Covid deaths have fallen by more than 40 per cent over the last week, down to just 22 victims today according to Department of Health data.
Cases are also continuing to fall with 2,396 infections posted, dropping 3.8 per cent from last Wednesday’s figure of 2,491.
And 107,622 first vaccine doses were also dished out yesterday, taking the UK’s total number of vaccinated adults past 33.1million. Some 350,027 adults were given their top-up jab.
It comes after a survey today suggested the UK deciding not to give AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine to under-30s has not put people off getting vaccinated.
Regulators said concerns about extremely rare blood clots being triggered by the jab meant it would be safer to give young adults a different one where possible.
In Europe clotting fears spooked some people into turning down the jab or asking for different ones. Denmark refused to use the vaccine at all.
But the University of Stirling in Scotland did a survey that found almost nine out of 10 people in their 30s – close in age to those affected but old enough to still be given the AstraZeneca jab – are still happy to get a vaccine.
The survey of 300 people did not ask specifically about the AstraZeneca vaccine but about jabs in general, and found no increase in hesitancy.
Among 30 to 40-year-olds, 85 per cent said they were still planning to get jabbed. This was a slight dip from 87 per cent in the previous survey but the proportion saying they would refuse a jab also fell, from 9.9 to 9.8 per cent.
Brits put a lot of trust in vaccines compared to people in Europe and a fast rollout and high uptake mean the UK is now one of the best protected countries worldwide.
The reputation of AstraZeneca’s vaccine has taken a hit in Europe and Africa amid concerns about the CVST clotting condition, and former prime minister Tony Blair today called for the UK to counter this by publishing data showing how few people get Covid after a jab.
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