Calling all over 70s

In a big shift in strategy, the NHS is asking Britons over the age of 70 who have yet to receive their first Covid injection to come forward and book appointments rather than wait for the call.

At this evening’s press briefing, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said the NHS is now recommending those aged 70 and over to either book online, phone using 119 or through their GP surgeries.

It’s an excellent sign, confirming the NHS is on course to meet its target of vaccinating the 15 million people in the most vulnerable groups by this time next Monday. Hancock also said that while calling the NHS directly applied to those living in England, the NHS is also working with the health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to offer the same service.

Hitting more positive targets – rather than the usual gloomy downward spiral numbers – was the spirit of the day. Almost 12.5 million people – one in four of the population – have now received their first vaccine dose. What’s more, the strike rate in all the top priority groups has been astonishing: 91 per cent of the over 80s have now been vaccinated, 95 per cent of those in the 75 to 79 age bracket, 75 per cent of those aged 70 to 74 and 93 per cent of those in care homes overall.

If this pace continues, it rather looks as though Downing Street’s prognosis that all over 50s will be vaccinated by the end of April – raising hopes that Britain could drop the vast majority of curbs in May – is a distinct possibility.

Believe it or not, the much criticised test and trace system also appears to be finally working more efficiently with Hancock claiming that 4.5 million tests are now being carried out a week. The contact tracing process is also said to be running at speed – particularly important as we move closer to relaxing restrictions. Indeed, Hancock wants all big employers to take part in the scheme because of the safety it gives workers as we move towards exiting lockdown. Yes, Hancock said the word exit. Hurray.

A new star to these evening briefings is undoubtedly Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England and a practising GP. She was able to describe the NHS vaccination programme as the biggest in health service history without sounding pompous – just thankful. Kanani ’s pride in what has been achieved by her colleagues was humbling as she thanked everyone involved, from the helpers who shovelled  snow in the car parks to the nurses, doctors and army of volunteers who have been delivering the jabs at the country’s 1,500 centres.

Her words made the comments of European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, suggesting that there was a new “Cold War” between nations in the race to vaccinate sound rather silly. As they are.

Seasonal jabs likely

Scare stories that the Oxford/AstraZeneca injection is not as effective as hoped against the South African variant, which has been detected in the UK, were neatly and politely put into context by Professor Jonathan Van Tam at the briefing.

As cool as ever, JVT explained that the SA variant is neither dominant nor highly transmissible, and that we should concentrate on suppressing the more dominant Kent strain. More interesting was his bigger picture view that in the future we will be able treat coronavirus – and its mutations – as we do seasonal flu by having a rolling new vaccines programme each season and boosters. Having the best genomic sequencing in the world will help track down all new mutations.

What this will achieve, he hopes, is moving to the “left of the curve” so that those who fall ill with the virus will not need to be hospitalised, but can be “ill” in the community. See more below on the South African variant from Caitlin Allen.

Musk takes a bite of Bitcoin

Elon Musk has just revealed he has bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and says Tesla will take payment for its cars in the cryptocurrency. As you might expect, the news drove Bitcoin up another 10 per cent while those who pretend to know these things predict Musk’s faith in the currency will push it towards the mainstream. I am not so sure: cryptocurrencies are going to remain the plaything of the rich for sometime to come.

What it does mean is that all those who hold Tesla shares now own a bit of Bitcoin. Musk – whose Tesla company still has $19.4 billion in cash in the bank – can afford to play around and, as we know, likes to tease his followers.

Is he serious? Or is Bitcoin another of the fancy games Musk likes to play like his plan to settle on Mars? Might be time to sell a few Tesla shares. They have done rather too well.

Maggie Pagano,
Executive Editor