Daily coronavirus deaths in Britain are falling at a faster rate than they did during the first wave, according to data which provides even more evidence that vaccines are saving lives.
Figures from No10’s Covid dashboard show that fatalities in the second wave peaked higher and fell further in the following seven weeks than during the same time period in the first wave.
For example, daily Covid fatalities hit 1,362 on deadliest day of the pandemic on January 19. This had fallen to 138 seven weeks later on March 8, the most recent snapshot available – a drop of 90 per cent.
By contrast, the first wave peaked at a lower 1,073 on April 8 and fell by 80 per cent to just 213 in the same amount of time.
While the figures highlight a slight speeding up in the rate of decline in deaths at the start of the year thanks to the jabs, scientists say their true effects will only truly bear fruit as we move into the spring.
This is because it takes three weeks for immunity to kick in after vaccination and then the same amount of time between getting infected and dying.
The results mimic what is happening to the epidemic in Israel, the only country dishing out the vaccines quicker than Britain, where Covid deaths have come down 97 per cent since their roll out.
It comes amid a huge European row over the safety of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine which experts say is costing lives. Nineteen countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, halted the use of the jab over unproven fears they cause blood clots — even though the continent is staring down the barrel of a third wave and further lockdowns.
There are now fears the public fallout has made Britons even less likely to go for their jab, following anecdotal reports of people in England cancelling their appointments.
Doctors and officials warn it is far more dangerous for people to not get vaccinated and even the European Medicines Agency has urged people to keep taking the vaccine because blood clots don’t appear to be any more common than usual.
Britain is using both the Pfizer/BioNTech and the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines, whereas Israel is only using the former. Both have been shown to be highly effective at preventing severe illness.
Public Health England analysis published earlier this month found they reduce Covid deaths by 85 per cent in over 70-years-olds and slash hospital rates in the elderly by about 80 per cent.
The elderly were prioritised for the vaccines because they are statistically the most likely to die from the disease and so far more than 90 per cent of everyone in the UK over 60 has had at least one dose.
Data from both Israel and the UK show the power of the vaccines on curbing epidemics and should cool fears about their safety in Europe.
Scientists have said that there is no evidence the vaccines caused blood clots in the handful of affected patients and claimed statistically, the rate of blood clots in vaccinated patients was the same as the general population.
There are fears that Britons are cancelling appointments after being scared off by the European moves against AstraZeneca‘s jab.
Doctors involved in the UK’s mammoth roll-out say patients due their second dose have called with concerns about the vaccine, despite the EU’s own drug regulator, as well as the UK’s and the World Health Organization all insisting it is safe.
One GP claimed up to 10 per cent of people scheduled for appointments were either not showing up, asking to cancel or double-checking which vaccine they were getting before turning up.
NHS doctor and volunteer Dr Karan Raj claimed he was ‘inundated’ with people saying they were worried about it and Dr Mohan Sekeram, a GP in South London, said the international row has led to patients refusing the vaccine.
The former chief of Britain’s vaccine regulator the MHRA, Sir Kent Woods, said European officials had ‘dented public confidence’ with their ‘disorderly’ reaction to the issue, and he described attempts to link the jab to clots as ‘a big jump’.
Professor Jeremy Browne, a lung doctor and member of the JCVI, which drew up the UK’s vaccine programme warned people will die of Covid because of the delays in Europe and the damage being done to public trust.
Doctors and officials warn it is far more dangerous for people to not get vaccinated and even the European Medicines Agency has urged people to keep taking the vaccine because blood clots don’t appear to be any more common than usual.
It comes as Matt Hancock confirmed today that all over-50s in England are now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. Mr Hancock said he was ‘delighted’ the roll-out was being expanded to the final age group. NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens added it was ‘another milestone’ reached in the race to beat the virus.
NHS England’s website for booking jab appointments now allows everyone ‘aged 50 and over’ to check-in. Once all 2.4million people in this age group — the last on No10’s priority list — have been offered a dose, over-40s will be invited. Estimates suggest the roll-out could move onto the next stage before the end of the month.
The expansion comes exactly 100 days after Britain became the first country in the world to begin vaccinating the public against Covid. Grandmother Maggie Keenan received her first dose on December 8 in Coventry.
More than 24.8million Britons have already received their first dose of the Covid jab — and half of all adults are expected to be vaccinated by the end of the week.
Britain is in a race to vaccinate as many people as possible before medics must start dishing out millions of second doses. Regulators widened the gap between doses to 12 weeks, paving the way for the UK to vaccinate millions more vulnerable residents.
Mr Hancock will hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm today to update the country on the pace of the vaccine roll-out. He will also likely attempt to reassure the public about the safety of AstraZeneca’s jab.