As an alarming new Covid variant spread to Europe on Friday, scientists warned that it would inevitably reach Britain, while ministers faced calls to urgently speed up the vaccination programme.
Immunity against infection from COVID-19 vaccines is waning over time, a new study suggests.
AstraZeneca may offer longer-lasting immunity than other vaccines, scientists have said amid claims that the jab has helped Britain avoid the latest Covid wave in Europe.
Doctors will be told not to offer antidepressants to those with mild illness and instead suggest options such as meditation, mindfulness and talking therapies.
NHS England officials said the health service is ready to extend the availability of vaccines quickly when and if expert recommendations for who should receive them change, after a report suggested plans to give the Covid jab to children aged five to 11 could become reality next year.
Wuhan scientists were studying viral samples of high-risk bat species living in Laos – the country where the closest relative to Covid-19 has been found, leaked documents show.
Nearly 10,000 more people than usual have died in the past four months from non-Covid reasons, as experts called for an urgent government inquiry into whether the deaths were preventable.
Booster jabs are being extended to under-50s as the government’s advisers are set to approve third doses for younger people as early as Monday.
Blood pressure drugs could prevent millions of people worldwide from developing type 2 diabetes, a large study suggests.
Clinical trials are starting for a new Ebola vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, designed to tackle the two strains responsible for nearly all outbreaks and deaths worldwide.
