The UK has begun its biggest vaccination campaign as it tries to inoculate 13.9 million people in two months, in a bid to link the end of its national lockdown with the immunisation of vulnerable groups.
Government data shows more than 1.5 million people have been vaccinated across the UK since December 8, including nearly a quarter of the most elderly and vulnerable.
Who will get the vaccine first?
The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation says prevention of death and the maintenance of health and social care systems should be priorities.
As the risk of death from Covid-19 increases with age, prioritisation is based primarily on this factor.
The joint committee has set out a list of nine high-priority groups, covering about 30 million people.
What are the nine priority groups?
1. residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2. those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social-care workers
3. those 75 years of age and over
4. those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
5. those 65 years of age and over
6. people aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of serious disease and death
7. those 60 years of age and over
8. those 55 years of age and over
9. those 50 years of age and over
People aged over 80, frontline staff and care home workers will be given the priority.
People aged over 70 and anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable will receive the vaccine by mid-February, while the rest of the priority groups will receive it by Easter.
When will the second phase of vaccination begin?
The joint committee believes the key focus for the second phase should be cutting the number of people in hospitals.
The under-50s and those at increased risk of catching Covid-19 because of their work will be given priority in the second phase. They include first responders, the military, those involved in the justice system, teachers, transport workers and public servants essential to the pandemic response
If you are part of this group, you will be invited to book an appointment for vaccination by late spring or early summer. Healthy, young people may have to wait until 2022.
Where will people be vaccinated?
People will be vaccinated at:
- local GP practices
- community pharmacies
- hospital hubs
- mass vaccination sites across the country
Prime minister Boris Johnson said no-one will have to travel more than 10 miles to get the jab, and announced 1,000 GP sites, 200 community pharmacies, 223 hospital hubs and seven mass vaccination sites will be ready to welcome Britons by next week.
How will the UK jab millions of people?
The UK’s ambitious programme is being helped by a change to the times between doses.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca products require two doses to provide the best protection. The recommended strategy is to offer another dose 21 days after the first.
This goes against World Health Organisation recommendations, in which the doses should be administered 21 to 28 days apart, and those of the makers, who voice concerns over the schedule, claiming there was “no data” to support its effectiveness.
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Europe delivers vaccine
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
More about Middle East geopolitics
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
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