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Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam is taking your calls on @LBC now.
Ferrari: Has mum had the jab?
JVT: "Mum has not had the jab yet".
She's just turned 79 and will hopefully have the jab in the next few days.
Ferrari: Has mum had the jab?
JVT: "Mum has not had the jab yet".
She's just turned 79 and will hopefully have the jab in the next few days.
First question from a caller is on second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
JVT says second doses has "only been deferred" and that they will happen.
He says that "right now we are in a constrained situation".
JVT says second doses has "only been deferred" and that they will happen.
He says that "right now we are in a constrained situation".
JVT says that from Pfizer data on FDA website, the first dose provides "something close to 90%" protection.
"Purist approach" says the protection lasts 42 days, but from looking at the science, the protection will last ten to 12 weeks.
"Purist approach" says the protection lasts 42 days, but from looking at the science, the protection will last ten to 12 weeks.
JVT says at the moment you can't mix and match and he says he doesn't think the research will have been completed in time to say that you can mix and match your vaccine.
He says that whilst it is a concern the vaccine isn't effective against the South African variant, work is being under taken at the Government's research facility Porton Down.
But JVT says that if vaccine isn't effective against the SA variant, it "will be a slow degradation. It won't fall off a cliff".
He says that it may be the case that we will ever be rid of Covid-19 and it is "quite reasonable" that vaccines will need to be updated and re-administered every few years.
JVT says no evidence that the vaccine's effectiveness is dependent on ethnicity. If it was, the manufacturers would have had to declare it.
He says that he has no concerns what vaccine his mum is given, whether its Pfizer, A/Z or Moderna.
He says that he has no concerns what vaccine his mum is given, whether its Pfizer, A/Z or Moderna.
JVT is asked whether someone who is shielding can return to work after a first dose.
He says he wants to create an "environment of surround sound" where people who aren't necessarily going to benefit from the vaccine are protected because everybody else has been vaccinated.
He says he wants to create an "environment of surround sound" where people who aren't necessarily going to benefit from the vaccine are protected because everybody else has been vaccinated.
Paul, a caller, says he had vaccine, then contracted Covid shortly afterwards, now recovered.
JVT says he is "almost certain" that he would have had a milder illness as a result of having the vaccine.
Advice is if even if you have had Covid, you should still have a vaccine.
JVT says he is "almost certain" that he would have had a milder illness as a result of having the vaccine.
Advice is if even if you have had Covid, you should still have a vaccine.
Three metre rule to replace the two metre rule shot down by JVT.
He says danger of greater distance covered by virus unlikely unless the new variant forces you to cough more violently. He says the difference is the viral load in new variant.
He says danger of greater distance covered by virus unlikely unless the new variant forces you to cough more violently. He says the difference is the viral load in new variant.
Also appears to knock on the head mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors. JVT says greatest risk of transmission is indoors.
Should football players hug and kiss each other after a goal?
JVT: "We are in a very dangerous place right now. We cannot relax until we have a very substantially vaccinated population. Every close human contact that is avoidable should be avoided."
That's a definite no.
JVT: "We are in a very dangerous place right now. We cannot relax until we have a very substantially vaccinated population. Every close human contact that is avoidable should be avoided."
That's a definite no.
