-
Britain's race to ramp up vaccination won't prevent surge in cases in coming weeks

The Xinhua reported that experts have said, British government's decision to ramp up vaccination in response to the new COVID-19 variant Omicron will take time to bring any benefit and may not prevent a surge in cases over the next few weeks.
Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Xinhua on Tuesday: "Given the very high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and its ability to, at least partially, evade immunity, it should be clear that a rapid response is needed. Instead, we have a policy based almost entirely on increasing vaccination rates that will take weeks to bring any benefit."
The expert said: "This is an inevitable consequence of the disagreements within the ruling Conservative Party. It is a political rather than a scientific decision."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently launched the "Omicron Emergency Booster National Mission" to encourage everyone eligible to "get boosted now."

Everyone aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster vaccine before the end of the year to combat the threat of rising Omicron variant cases.
Algerian president visits Tunisia to strengthen bilateral ties
The prime minister has also announced that England will move to "Plan B" amid the rapid spread of Omicron in Britain, including a requirement for millions of people to work from home and mandatory face-mask wearing in a wider range of locations.
Social policy expert Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg from the University of Liverpool told Xinhua: "The UK government has placed enormous emphasis on vaccines as the means of preventing the need to re-impose COVID restrictions. There was always a risk that a surge in cases could undermine that strategy."
Wilks-Heeg said: "The sudden emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in the run-up to Christmas has made new restrictions inevitable. Yet, the government's emphasis remains on vaccinations."
He added: "Even with new rules on mask-wearing in public places and COVID passports for large events, it is a race that the UK's National Health Service is likely to lose."
Professor Iain Begg, an expert in politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said: "My view is that the government, under pressure from the medical and scientific advisers, is erring on the side of caution while awaiting more extensive information on the risk from the Omicron variant."
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping agree to stand firm in rejecting Western interference
According to the UK Health Security Agency, Britain reported 78,610 new cases on Wednesday, the highest daily infections since the start of the pandemic, bringing the national caseload to 11,010,286.
Another 4,671 Omicron cases have been confirmed in Britain on the same day, the biggest daily increase since the COVID-19 variant first detected in the country, taking the country's total Omicron cases to 10,017.
The latest data came as England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that there will continue to be record numbers of COVID cases over the next few weeks.
Denmark's Crown Princess Mary tests positive for the coronavirus
Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Whitty suggested the country is experiencing "two epidemics on top of one another," one driven by the "very rapidly-growing" Omicron variant and the other by the Delta.
He said: "I am afraid we have to be realistic that records will be broken a lot over the next few weeks as the rates continue to go up."
Source: xinhua
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!