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People who have received a Covid-19 vaccine could still pass the virus on to others and should continue to follow lockdown rules, England's deputy chief medical officer has warned.
In a Sunday Telegraph article, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam noted that scientists "still don't know the impact of the vaccine on transmission."
He said vaccines offer "hope" but infection rates must come down quickly.
Matt Hancock said 75% of people over 80 in the UK had a first viral puncture.
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses, and figures so far reflect those given with the first dose.
The health secretary told the BBC's Andrew Marr that around three-quarters of nursing homes had also been vaccinated.
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Professor Van-Tam said that "no vaccine has been" 100% effective, so there is no guaranteed protection.
It is possible to contract the virus within two to three weeks after receiving an injection, he said, and it is "best" to allow "at least three weeks" for the full development of an immune response in patients. the elderly.
“Even after receiving both doses of the vaccine, there is a possibility that you will give Covid-19 to someone else and the chains of transmission will continue,” Professor Van-Tam said.
“If you change your behavior, you could still spread the virus, keep the number of cases high, and put other people at risk who also need their vaccine but who are lower in the queue.
Last week, the person who coordinated Israel's Covid response suggested that a single dose of Pfizer's vaccine might not be as effective as reported.
Israel has one of the highest coronavirus vaccination rates in the world, and scientists are closely monitoring data shared by the country for signs of the vaccine's effectiveness when given to the entire population. population.
The country's Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told The Andrew Marr Show some people "still get sick" from the coronavirus after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, but said there were "encouraging signs of illness less serious, fewer people. hospitalized after the first dose. "".
Vaccination chart in the UK
Senior doctors have asked health officials in England to close the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The maximum weight has been extended from three to 12 weeks for the first hit to reach more people across the UK.
But the British Medical Association said the policy was "difficult to justify" and the gap should be narrowed to six weeks.
Its chairman, Dr. Chaand Nagpaul, told the BBC that there were "growing concerns" that the vaccine could become less effective 12 weeks apart.
Responding to criticism, Prof Van-Tam said: 'What none of these (who ask reasonable questions) will tell me is who on the at-risk list should suffer from slower access on its first dose so that someone else already has taken a dose (and therefore most of the protection) can you get a second? "
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32 more vaccination sites are expected to open in England this week.
More than 5.8 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a vaccine, according to the government's coronavirus control panel.
NHS England said new vaccination sites were preparing to open in England from Monday.
These include Dudley's Black Country Living Museum, which also served as the backdrop for the Peaky Blinders TV series, Plymouth Argyle FC's Home Park Stadium, and a former Ikea store in Stratford, London.
The 32 sites will give priority to health and social staff on Monday and other priority patients from Tuesday.
They will bring the number of mass vaccination centers in England to 49, in addition to 70 pharmacies, more than 1,000 GP surgeries and 250 hospitals offering the vaccine.
Coronavirus in the UK
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Friday that more than a third of people over 80 had received their first dose of a vaccine.
More than half of people over 80 in Northern Ireland have been affected, although Health Minister Robin Swann said "it will take time" for the program to have a "major effect".
In Wales, four vaccination centers have been closed as officials brace for more snow.
Professor Van-Tam stressed that the UK must "reduce the number of cases as soon as possible while we vaccinate the most vulnerable".
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Another 1,348 deaths within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections.
4,076 Covid patients were on hospital ventilators in the UK as of Friday, according to government data.
This is higher than in the first wave, when the peak was 3301 on April 12.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that there is "evidence" that the variant that has emerged in the UK could be deadlier, but scientists have since said that should not be a game-changer in the response. from the UK to the pandemic.
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