“AstraZeneca had previously promised that they would administer the jab on a not-for-profit basis 'at cost', and would only start to make money from the vaccine when Covid-19 was no longer considered to be a pandemic. "
The lecture, named in honour of journalist Richard Dimbleby, is delivered by influential figures in business, science, or politics and is broadcast annually by the BBC. This year, Dame Gilbert will add her name to a roster including Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, and Former President Bill Clinton.
Currently, there are no plans for it to be compulsory for students to be fully vaccinated when they arrive at Oxford at the start of Michaelmas term, according to an Oxford University spokesperson.
"On Thursday June 3rd, protestors demanded the suspension of patent protection on COVID-19 vaccines, urging the G7 health ministers assembled in Oxford to “put people over profit”. Directly afterwards, the Extinction Rebellion (XR) protested to warn of the detrimental impacts of the climate and ecological emergency on global health."
The demonstration was part of a “global day of action” organised by the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a “coalition of organisations and activists” who are calling for pharmaceutical companies to share information about how to produce COVID-19 vaccines with laboratories around the world.
"Researchers analysed nose and throat swabs and found that 21 days after a single dose of either Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines (with no second dose), the rates of all new COVID-19 infections had dropped by 65%, symptomatic infections by 72% and infections without reported symptoms by 57%."
"With the ongoing devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the impending hope for a better future in sight, it is more crucial than ever for scientists and policy makers to accurately track and follow vaccination coverage."
'The Head of the Transneural Biology Group at Oxford University, Professor Paul Harrison, said: “We’ve reached two important conclusions. Firstly, COVID-19 markedly increases the risk of CVT, adding to the list of blood clotting problems this infection causes. Secondly, the COVID-19 risk is higher than we see with the current vaccines, even for those under 30; something that should be taken into account when considering the balances between risks and benefits for vaccination”.'
The EMA concluded that the vaccine was not associated with an increased risk of blood clots. They added they would continue to investigate whether the vaccine was associated with CVST caused by low platelet counts.
"The vaccine and the coronavirus, inextricably interlinked, have become channels through which national political interests can be realised, a new, shiny tool in the arsenal and war-chests of governments to wield power and gain political capital."
While no definitive party has been identified as being responsible for the situation, confusion may have resulted from a list posted on the National Careers Service website that included early years providers, including nursery staff and childminders, as social care workers who were included in this phase of the roll out and were therefore offered appointments for jabs.
