As it happened: AZ jab 'still safe' as under-30s offered alternative

1. Under-30s are to be offered an alternative Covid jab to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the UK's vaccine advisory body says
2. Advice for younger people is changing after an investigation into cases of blood clots in people who have had the jab
3. The vaccination programme has been "a most enormous success" but needs a "course correction", Prof Jonathan Van-Tam says
4. The blood clots are extremely rare, MHRA chief Dr June Raine says
5. "The balance of benefits and known risks of the vaccine is still very favourable for the vast number of people," Dr Raine adds
6. People who have had a first Oxford-AZ jab should still be offered the second dose, Prof Wei Shen of the JCVI says
7. European regulator the EMA says unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as very rare side effects of the vaccine
8. Health ministers from the 27 EU member nations are meeting to discuss the findings
9. Carer Elle Taylor, 24, from Ammanford in Wales is the first person to receive the Moderna vaccine in the UK
10. Brazil records more than 4,000 Covid-related deaths in a days for first time

Thanks for joining us

That's it from us this Wednesday evening. We'll be back on Thursday with all the latest coronavirus news from around the world.

Today's live page was edited by James Clarke and George Bowden, and written by Doug Faulkner, Becky Morton, Jen Meierhans and Patrick Jackson.

Re-cap: What happened today?

Reuters

We'll be bringing our live coverage to a close shortly so here's a summary of the main stories today:

• Under-30s in the UK are to be offered an alternative vaccine to the AstraZeneca jab due to the evidence linking it to rare blood clots
• Meanwhile, the EU's medicines regulator says unusual blood clots should be listed as a very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine
• The UK has begun the rollout of its third coronavirus vaccine, the Moderna jab, in Wales and Scotland
• Loneliness during the lockdown in Britain has been much more intense in poorer, urban areas and places with a higher proportion of young people, according to the Office for National Statistics
• Driving lessons can restart in England and Wales on 12 April, the transport secretary has confirmed
• Brazil has recorded more than 4,000 Covid-related deaths in 24 hours for the first time, as a more contagious variant fuels a surge in cases
• Taiwan has accused Beijing of offering Chinese-made Covid vaccines to pressure Paraguay to sever ties with the island

Oxford University backs the benefits of its vaccine

BBC

A professor at Oxford University, where the AstraZeneca vaccine was developed, has emphasised that the benefits of the jab outweigh the risks.

Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity, says safety has been a priority throughout the vaccine's development last year.

He says: "We are reassured to see that safety monitoring continues under the close scrutiny of regulators and public health authorities as the vaccine is rolled out around the world.

"The identification of rare cases of blood clots, which might be associated with the vaccine, shows that the safety system works, and has also allowed MHRA and EMA to conclude that the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh the risks, while putting in measures to help mitigate any possible risk.

"The pandemic coronavirus continues to be a huge threat to people throughout the world, and we continue with our mission to support global vaccination, not for profit, for the benefit of humanity."

'No time to think about vaccines in Brazil'

EPA

A Covid patient is treated in Bahia, Brazil

As Europe considers the next steps over possible side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, let's turn to a country in Latin America where the ravages of the pandemic are so bad that such issues feel remote right now.

We've already reported about the crisis in Brazil where the daily number of Covid-related deaths passed 4,000 for the first time.

Dr Pedro Hallal, an epidemiologist from the Federal University of Pelotas in the south of the country, has now described people's desperation in an interview for BBC World Service.

“Our situation is so severe now, with the cases, deaths and ICU [intensive care unit] occupancy, that we pretty much don’t have time to think about the vaccines," he said.

"Unfortunately that is not a priority right now – which is difficult to understand, but this is where we are in Brazil. It’s impossible to be positive nowadays in Brazil.

“Most Brazilian scientists are saying that if the world doesn’t focus on Brazil right now, then maybe the vaccination [success] in other countries might be lost, if a new variant is likely to develop here in Brazil."

AZ vaccine: How do you weigh up the risks and benefits?

Robert Cuffe

BBC head of statistics

PA Media

Before weighing up the risks and benefits, the first question is “how rare”?

Based on today’s data from the UK regulator, you might expect a one-in-a-million chance of a fatal clot after vaccination.

That’s roughly the same as your chance of getting murdered in the next month or the additional risk of dying that driving 250 miles gives you.

And that’s why the regulators are describing it as “very rare”.

We don't know enough to be able to plug data into a calculator and get a simple, exact answer tailored to you.

But for anyone at relatively high risk of catching coronavirus or at higher risk of dying if they do catch it, the benefits outstrip the risks pretty clearly.

As England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty says “the closer you get to someone who's right down at 20, and otherwise blameless in their health, the more you have to think through these really very rare side effects”.

Read more here.

Watch: Applause for 104-year-old who beat Covid - twice

Covid: Applause for 104-year-old Colombian who beat coronavirus - twice

A 104-year-old Colombian woman has received a standing ovation from hospital staff after recovering from Covid-19 for a second time.

Carmen Hernandez was first diagnosed with coronavirus last June and was treated in her San Jose nursing home.

Then last month, Carmen was admitted to intensive care and spent 21 days in hospital - until she was discharged on Monday.

Stone-throwers force Rotherham test site closure

South Yorkshire Police

A coronavirus testing centre has been forced to close early after stones were thrown at staff, according to police.

Staff at the Rotherham site, which is in the car park of Maltby Leisure Centre, were attacked on Tuesday night by young people throwing stones.

South Yorkshire Police says it was "yet another night" the station had to close early following anti-social behaviour.

The Department for Health and Social Care, which runs the site, says the attacks were "abhorrent".

The South Yorkshire force's Rotherham South Neighbourhood Policing Team says "local youths" were thought to be responsible for the attacks.

Read more here.

Which countries have restricted the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab?

The EU's medicines regulator has said unusual blood clots should be listed as a possible very rare side effect of the AstraZeneca jab, but that the benefits outweigh the risks.

It follows the restriction of the vaccine's use in some European countries, including now Belgium which, as we reported earlier, is temporarily limiting the jab to the over-55s.

BBC

Blackpool Air Show cancelled for second year

Visit Blackpool

Blackpool's annual summer air show has been cancelled for the second year in a row due to coronavirus.

The free event, which attracts up to 100,000 visitors, was due to be staged on the seafront on 7 and 8 August.

But event organisers Visit Blackpool says there's too much uncertainty over the staging of mass events.

"There is no clear picture on how free-to-access outdoor events can benefit from proposed mitigation measures such as testing or any form of certification to reduce the risk of infection," a Visit Blackpool spokesman says.

But fans of the air show will be pleased to know that provisional plans are already being made for the 2022 event to be staged over the weekend of 6 and 7 August.

Belgium to temporarily limit Oxford-AstraZeneca jab to over-55s

Belgium has announced it is restricting AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to over-55s temporarily, as a precaution, after the EU medicines agency reported a possible link to rare forms of blood clots.

The EU agency stressed that the overall benefits of administering the jab outweighed the risks.

France has also limited the jab to the over-55s, Germany to the over-60s, and Sweden to the over-65s.

EU health ministers discuss rollout after jab findings

EPA

Health ministers from the EU's 27 member states have been meeting by video link to discuss how the Covid-19 vaccine rollout will proceed after the bloc's medicines agency supported continuing use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

"Our decisions on vaccine rollouts should be based on science and with the safety of citizens at the centre," Stella Kyriakides, EU commissioner for health, tweeted as talks got under way.

"The AstraZeneca experience shows that our pharmacovigilance system works. But is essential that we follow a coordinated approach across the EU. We must speak with one voice across the EU to improve public trust in vaccinations," she added.

The European Medicines Agency concluded that unusual blood clots with low blood platelets should be listed as "very rare side effects" and the "overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects".

Read more here.

'AstraZeneca vaccine is safe' - Starmer

PA Media

Sir Keir Starmer had his AstraZeneca jab on 14 March

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has responded to the MHRA's findings that there's "a strong possibility" the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is associated with an "extremely small" risk of rare blood clots.

Having received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Starmer says he will follow the medicines regulators advice and have his second dose of the jab.

He says: “The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, effective and saving thousands of lives.

“Trust in our doctors and scientists. When it is your turn to get the jab, do so.

“My first dose was AstraZeneca and I look forward to getting my second dose when it is offered.”

US restaurants face ketchup packet shortage

Getty Images

If you're looking to ketchup on the day's news then dip into this update from our sauces in the US...

America is facing shortages of tomato ketchup after the coronavirus pandemic led to a surge in demand for individual sachets of the condiment.

Heinz, the most widely sold brand of ketchup, said the rise in demand had been "driven by... accelerated delivery and takeout trends".

Kraft Heinz told the AFP news agency it had already stepped up production, but that "demand was greater than supply".

Prices for ketchup packets have risen 13% since January 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal.

We've got another serving of this story here.

'Will a second jab affect my Long Covid recovery?'

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC

Angela asked whether a second vaccine would affect her chances of recovering from Long Covid

Angela, in Whitby, is suffering from Long Covid and had a severe allergic reaction to her first vaccine. She says it brought back her Long Covid symptoms, such as fatigue, and set back her recovery.

She asked BBC Radio 5 Live's Your Call earlier: "I’m going to have my second jab in six weeks' time and I’m concerned about the likely reaction. Is it likely to affect my future recovery of Long Covid?"

Answering Angela’s question, Dr Simon Clarke, Professor in Microbiology at the University of Reading, said: "I have heard of no examples of the second jab causing significant problems - I wouldn’t worry too much about that."

Encouraging her to go ahead with her second dose of the vaccine, he added: "If you did have Covid last year, the chance is your immunity has remained and if you pick it up again, that will probably cause you much more of a problem than the vaccine ever will."

• Listen to Wednesday's Your Call on BBC Sounds

No reason to deviate from England's roadmap - PM

PA Media

Boris Johnson visited a shop in Truro, Cornwall, ahead of its reopening on Monday

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the new recommendations on the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would not require England's road map out of lockdown to change.

On a visit to Cornwall, he told reporters: "These vaccines are safe, they've saved many thousands of lives and people should come forward to get their jabs and we'll make sure that they get the right jabs."

"I don't see any reason at this stage at all to think we need to deviate from the road map. And we're also very secure about our supply," he added.

Watch: Woman 'thrilled' to be first in UK to get Moderna jab

Earlier today we brought you the news that an unpaid carer had become the first person in the UK to get the Moderna vaccine.

Elle Taylor, 24, from Ammanford, had the jab at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen.

In the video below she says she was "thrilled" to be the first person to get the jab, so she can care for her grandmother safely.

Covid: UK's first Moderna vaccine recipient 'thrilled'

Camilla helps with vaccine rollout

Reuters

The Duchess of Cornwall has been visiting a vaccination centre in Tottenham, north London, where she helped prepare Pfizer vaccines.

Camilla, who had the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine earlier this year, also visited the London Islamic Cultural Society at Wightman Road Mosque to learn about its work supporting the community during the pandemic.

PA Media

Reuters

Hospital staff relieved as Covid case numbers fall

Royal Bournemouth Hospital staff relieved as Covid case numbers fall

We've been catching up with staff on the emergency ward at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

They told us it had become "a Covid ward for nearly a year" but when we visited there were only only four people being treated for coronavirus.

Staff said they were relieved to see fewer cases coming into the hospital but University Hospitals Dorset bosses said it was now time to prepare for the possibility of a third wave of the virus.

Long Covid: 'I'm grieving the person I used to be'

Charlie Jones

BBC News

Jasmine Hayer

Health coach Jasmine Hayer has given up her life in London and moved back in with her parents after catching Covid.

Now she is focusing on a twin goal - battling back to health while helping others get the right treatment for Long Covid.

Last March, she suffered a month of "hell", stuck at home with Covid, terrified as she struggled to catch a breath.

Since then, the symptoms she has experienced include weight loss, irregular menstrual cycles, acid reflux, an increased heart rate, palpitations and insomnia.

"Long Covid has basically destroyed me," she says. "It has left me physically and mentally imprisoned.

"I am a shell of myself and I am grieving the person I used to be. But I am fighting back."

Read more of Jasmine's story here.

UK on track to offer all adults first dose by end of July - Hancock

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also reacted to today's announcements, reiterating that the UK and European regulators have both confirmed the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is "safe, effective and that the benefits far outweigh the risks for the vast majority of adults".

Hancock adds the UK is "on track" to offer a first dose to all adults by the end of July and urges people to get the vaccine when they are offered it.

"This is the excellence of UK institutions in action: clear, transparent communication of advice based on the best quality science," he says in a tweet.