It has been announced today that adult Britons under the age of 30 will be offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine where possible.
The decision follows advice after a review by the drugs regulator, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), found that by the end of March, 79 people in the UK suffered rare blood clots after receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and 19 of whom died.
The regulator has said that this was not proof that the jab had caused the clots, however.
It said that the side-effects were extremely rare, the vaccine’s effectiveness was proven, and the benefits of taking the vaccine were still very favourable for the vast majority.
But it did confirm the link was getting firmer.
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Dr June Raine – Chief Executive of the MHRA – confirmed a total of 51 women and 28 men aged 18 to 79 were affected by blood clots, and of those 19 people who have sadly died, three were under the age of 30.
“The risk is four people in a million,” Dr Raine said.
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She also urged anybody suffering the following side effects four days after getting the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab to seek medical attention:
Headaches
Blurred vision
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Leg swelling
Abdominal pain
Bruising or pinpoint spots beyond the vaccination site
Professor Lim Wei Shen – Chair of COVID-19 Immunisation at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) – assured that the decision to prioritise a different jab for under 30s was made “out of utmost caution rather than because we have any serious safety concerns”.
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, has said the new advice is a “course correction” for the UK’s “very successful” vaccine rollout.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously during a visit to Cornwall earlier today that the government believes the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is “safe”, but added: “The crucial thing for everybody is to listen to what the scientists [and] the medical experts have to say later on today.”
For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with pop-up Park and Rides to open
Emily Sergeant
Pop-up Park and Ride facilities are set to open as Manchester prepares for what’s expected to be its busiest weekend of the year.
The festive season in the run up to Christmas always sees more people flock to the city centre than usual, but this weekend will likely be even busier than expected, as not only are Manchester Christmas Markets still in full swing, but there are also a number of gigs, live festive shows, and major sporting events coinciding with this.
So in a weekend that sees legends gigging and the Manchester Derby take place, as you would expect, thousands are predicted to flock to Manchester city centre and Etihad Campus.
Because of this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is taking action and encouraging people to dodge the likely congestion and use public transport instead where possible – with pop-up Park and Rides set to be introduced for weekend shoppers and fun-seekers who do want or need to drive.
On Saturday and Sunday, Booth Street West Car Park D (M15 6PD) – which will have 965 parking spaces available – will be free for customers travelling to the city centre by bus, and then again on Sunday, the same car park will be free for those attending Paul McCartney at Co-op Live.
Your ticket to the gig must be shown on entry, before a dedicated shuttle bus then takes you from the car park to the Etihad Campus.
Disney On Ice will be hosting four shows at AO Arena this weekend / Credit: Supplied
Shuttle buses – which are only available on the Sunday – will depart from Higher Cambridge Street and run to Co-op Live and back every 15 mins from 4pm until midnight.
Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground (Talbot Road, Stretford, M16 0PX) will also have 500 parking spaces available for Metrolink customers on Sunday, but you must show a valid pre-booked tram ticket to park there.
On Sunday [15 Dec], we’re offering free parking at Emirates Old Trafford to help relieve congestion in the city.
The Park and Ride is available to customers with a valid tram ticket purchased on the app, at a ticket machine or via contactless.
Anyone else planning to drive across the weekend may also want to consider using one of the permanent Park and Ride sites and complete their journey on foot or by public transport, and you can find more information and the locations of these sites on the Bee Network website here.
Tram capacity has been increased for the festive season, with every available tram running until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The V1 and 36 bus services now also run 24 hours a day.
Other late-running buses on the Bee Network from Manchester include the 43 service to Manchester Airport, the 86 to Sale, and the 142 to East Didsbury.
Body found in search for missing Stockport postman Steven Caulfield
Emily Sergeant
A body has been found in the search for a 70-year-old former postman from Stockport who went missing a couple of months ago.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) issued a public appeal after to help find Steven Caulfield, who was last seen in the vicinity of the golf course next to Middlewood Way, in the Marple area of Stockport, at around 4pm Tuesday 1 October, after he failed to return home from a walk.
Since Steven was reported missing, an extensive missing person investigation was launched by Stockport detectives, alongside a widespread search by specialist GMP officers, and a number of missing appeals were also published on social media and shared widely – not just in Greater Manchester, but all across the UK.
#UPDATE | At around 12pm today (Wednesday 11th December 2024), an officer sadly located a body in woodland near to Middlewood Way in Stockport.
At this time, we believe this is likely to be Steven Caulfield who went missing on Tuesday 1 October.
But sadly, at around 12pm yesterday (Wednesday 11 December 2024), a GMP officer has sadly located a body in a woodland area near to Middlewood Way in Stockport, and at this time, police believe this is likely to be the body of Steven Caulfield.
Steven’s next of kin have been made aware and are currently being supported by officers.
There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Steven’s death, according to GMP.
Speaking on the discovery of the body, Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Stockport District Commander and GMP lead for Disaster Victim Identification, said: “Our deepest condolences remain with Steven’s family and friends, who have been devastated by this traumatic news, we have officers supporting them through this difficult time.
“It has been a challenging couple of months since the missing report came to us in GMP and our Tactical Aid Unit, Specialist Search, Canine and Underwater Units were all utilised to search for Steven in challenging conditions and locations around the Middlewood Way.
“We hope today’s discovery provides some answers for Steven’s loved ones.”