this is bbc news, i'm tim willcox. the headlines at 8pm. another breakthrough in the battle against cornavirus — this time an american vaccine said to be nearly 95% effective. britain secures up to five million doses. i broke into an ear to ear grin when i heard the numbers. it really exceeded our best hopes, and it is an incredibly exciting moment for us. it doesn't matter that i'm fit as a butchers dog, i feel great, as so many people do. but the prime minister is still forced to self—isolate along with six tory mps and two political aides after a breakfast meeting last week at downing street. new pilot schemes mean relatives should be able to visit loved ones in care homes by christmas says the government.

talks to thrash out a post—brexit trade deal resume in brussels, with both sides calling for compromise. and diplomacy in the deep end — the british diplomat who jumped into a river in china to save a drowning student. there's more good news in the search for a covid vaccine. that evening, welcome to bbc news. there's more good news in the search for a covid vaccine. another one has emerged — which appears to be even more effective than the first — following clinical trials on 30,000 people in the united states. the american firm — behind it — moderna says it is almost 95% effective. it has been tested on a wide range of people including the over 65s,

people with underlying medical conditions and those from different ethnic backgrounds. and crucially it can be stored at normal refridgerated temperatures making it much easier to distribute. tonight, the government said it had secured five million doses of the vaccine. it's one of around 50 vaccines now being tested on people in clinical trials worldwide, and its success, along with szier‘s announced last week, raises hopes that others could also be effective. our medical editor fergus walsh reports. another dose of hope and further evidence that vaccines will provide a way out of this pandemic. thank you. stunning early results from this trialfrom us firm moderna have eclipsed the strong just a week ago from pfizer biontech.

i broke into an ear to ear grin when i heard the numbers. it really exceeded our best hopes and it is an incredibly exciting moment for us as a company and is a world as we start to develop tools to fight the virus. 30,000 volunteers in the us took part in the trials. half had two doses of the vaccine a month apart, the rest dummy injections. early analysis shows there were 90 covid cases in those given the dummy treatment and only five in the vaccinated group. moderna says this shows the vaccine is over 95% effective at preventing covid. ——moderna says this shows the vaccine is over 94% effective at preventing covid. what's more, there were 11 cases of severe disease, but none among those who got the vaccine. i would like to update you on the latest data... the government urged people to follow the covid rules, because even an effective vaccine will not change the way we live for months. but optimism is growing. are you a bit more confident today,

even more confident than a week ago, that covid vaccines will work? it is brilliant news, absolutely brilliant. it's the second penalty now. that has also gone into the back of the net. we are starting to feel in a better position. moderna, like pfizer, have used a completely new method for creating vaccines which does not need the virus itself. it uses the genes for the coronavirus spike protein, this synthetic code, known as rna, is created in the laboratory and forms the vaccine. this teaches the body to recognise and build an immune response to coronavirus. before we can all throw away our facemasks and ditch social distancing, we are going to need to protect the world from covid. that will require billions of doses of coronavirus vaccine and it is why clinical trials must continue. like this one, which began today in southampton and other

sites across the uk, yhe jab from the belgian firm jansen is one of six covid vaccines pre—ordered by the government. over time, we will learn which of those works better in different ages and different people with different conditions, and also how to use the vaccines in combinations to give people the best and longest lasting immunity. caution is needed. we still need full safety and effectiveness data for the moderna and pfizer vaccines. but there is a real sense that some of the most vulnerable to covid could be immunised before christmas. fergus walsh, bbc news. more from fergus in a moment. earlier the director—general of the world health organisation gave his reaction to the news, warning that the possibliity of a vaccine should not make us complacent. this is not the time

for complacency. while we continue to receive encouraging news about covid—i9 vaccines and remain cautiously optimistic about the potential for new tools to start to arrive in the coming months, right now, we are extremely concerned by the surge in cases we are seeing in some countries, particularly in europe and the americas. health workers and health systems are being pushed to the breaking point. that was the head of the who. let's get more from our medical editor fergus walsh now. monday seems to be good news for vaccines, doesn't it? is it worth keeping our feet vaccines, doesn't it? is it worth keeping ourfeet on vaccines, doesn't it? is it worth keeping our feet on the ground? we absolutely have to. there are still things we don't know. we don't have the full safety data, we don't have the full safety data, we don't have the full safety data, we don't have the full at the neck efficacy, effectiveness need to make data, and until we get that and the regulators have decided that these vaccines are

0k to use, we don't have a vaccine ready to use generally up. but it's looking really good. it shows that last week's announcement by pfizer was not a flash in the pan, so looking very promising. but we have to be cautious. these vaccines, although incredible promising, are not going to change our lives this winter. even if we get a few million people immunised in december— january, we have got to immunise tens of millions of people. and then we've got to immunise people globally, because this is a pandemic, a global epidemic, that's what it means. so we have got to be very careful that we immunise and have billions of doses, enough to immunise the world. and i think the uk has got 5 million of these due in april, but we have hedged our bets can have only? we have other suppliers and we are do to get those, but do we know how efficient they are? well, we know that the pfizer vaccine, that was last week,

was over 90% effective. we have enough to immunise 20 million people. so now with the modernity absent enough to immunise two and half million people, the big prize would be the oxford university astrazeneca vaccine that hopefully we should get some results within a matter of weeks. if that proves similarly effective, well, we've ordered 100 million doses of outcome and offer 50 million people in the uk. if that's comes in, good. and effectively, we are done and dusted in the uk and we can start then giving vaccine away effectively to the developing world. 0k, fergus, thank you very much indeed. stay with us on the bbc news channel because at 8:30 we'll be answering your questions on the coronavirus vaccines. we'll be joined by immunologist professor robin shattock, head of immunity at imperial college london. you can get involved by sending your questions to yourquestions@bbc.co.uk or tweeting us using the hash tag bbc your questions.

keep them coming in. the prime minister, six conservative mps and two political aides have all been told to self—isolate after a breakfast meeting in downing street last thursday. one of the mps tested positive for coronavirus after the 35—minute gathering in a state room. downing street insisted that social distancing rules were observed. this report from our political editor laura kuenssberg contains some flash photography. the moment you might dread from your phone or inbox — a message from the trackers to stay at home. the prime minister stuck in number 10 too. they pinged me, and i have got to self—isolate, because somebody i was in contact with has developed covid. it doesn't matter that i'm fit as a butcher's dog, feel great, so many people do in my circumstances. and actually it doesn't matter that i've already had the disease and i'm bursting with antibodies. we have got to interrupt

the spread of the disease. on thursday, borisjohnson met with half a dozen mps, at least meant to be keeping their distance. but on saturday lee anderson from ashfield tested positive. the five others who were there are all self—isolating now too. meetings are allowed in person for work. but even in downing street, strict rules are meant to be followed to make sure it's safe. but now the prime minister's holed up between his desk and the downing street flat — not because he has the disease, but because he spent time with one who has. but after days of dissying allegations about what has been going on in government... this was meant to be a moment for ministers to get back on track. the government, like all other buisnesses and organisations over the past few months, he's been learning to do things differently. we're doing a lot of meetings online, the prime minister has already this morning, you've seen the video's he's put out. we're getting on with delivering people's priorities. like cracking on with

rolling out a vaccine — which labour wants — and sticking to the rules. this is frustrating for the prime minister, i understand that. it is important that he self—isolates. it's important for all of us to say we have got to comply with the advice and guidance. rules may have never bothered some in government that much. burning downing street feuds have flamed into public in the last few days. dominic cummings — who couldn't ever resist playing the pantomime villian — walking off into the dark. a lot of metaphorical blood has been split on downing street's posh carpets of late, so the prime minister wanted to use this week to clean up — with announcements on the environment, meetings with mps, no small matter of brexit talks that go on too. but an e—mail from the tracers has has seen him locked indoors. perhaps it's coronavirus that's still in charge. government's can plan for resets, relaunches, restarts, but no minister can plan for real life. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster.

0ur political correspondent, jessica parker, is at westminster. they may say that it is covert secure, jessica, but there were no facemasks worn in those meetings, and the photographs didn't look as if they were two metres apart. will they be typing up on that? look, downing street are insisting it's a covert secure workplace, but i thank you are right, there will be questions about whether this meeting needed to take her to —— take place in person, as then mp suggested that perhaps it could have taken place virtually rather than in person, and because following that meeting, several of the mps that you just saw in laura's report sent out photographs on social media of them standing not next to the premise but not too far off, maybe a metre or so apart, and as you say, not wearing masks either. i think it has attracted some criticism. of course, borisjohnson, it attracted some criticism. of course, boris johnson, it means attracted some criticism. of course, borisjohnson, it means for him that he has to self—isolate now until next thursday, and now we are

understanding that he can access his office from his flat in downing street, and he's insisting that he continues to lead the covert response and he is feeling as fit as a butcher's dog, but i don't think it is the start of the week that he wa nted it is the start of the week that he wanted after last week's turbulence in downing street. he certainly wa nted in downing street. he certainly wanted to have that reset button. he's trying his best to do that in a sense because he's held a scheduled call with mps from northern constituencies, conservative mps this evening via zoom, so still trying to touch base with them despite his and ability to meet anybody in person, but i think it has attracted criticism, as i say, downing street insisting it's covid—secure downing street insisting it's covid—secu re and that downing street insisting it's covid—secure and that social distancing was observed at all times. 0k, jessica, you mention the northern research group, one of the mps who's just been on the phone to the prime minister joining me to talk about how that meeting went is dehenna davison, conservative mp for bishop auckland. the first tory mp to get that seed since 1885 mino the sea very well,

pa rt since 1885 mino the sea very well, part of the redwall. how was the prime minister this evening? and what did your group have to say to him? i think the key point to make here, tim, is it was an incredibly positive call. an awful pun, name of the game, the prime minister was bursting with positive energy and his commitment to leveling up and making sure that communities like mine in bishop auckland and by those one by many of us really do feel like they're being represented on a listen to and that we deliver for them as we move forward. but a lot of your colleagues or several of your colleagues don't think that is a case, do they? back in october, several of you signed a letter to the prime minister to my don't thank you put your signature to x, but they were talking for more information about leveling up, also trying to work away down from the various tier system. was any of that raised this evening? there was an awful lot of stuff covered him i'm sure you awful lot of stuff covered him i'm sure you will hear a little bit

more, but i'd like to... iwould like to hear it from you. you are in the conversation stopped i was in the conversation stopped i was in the conversation, tim, but the thing is, what it really focused around was people were asking the payments or whether his commitment was leveling up and delivery for communities like mine and those right across the redwall. his commitment was very much the case. i understand we will hear more from him over the coming days and weeks about some of the kind of key policies that he's going to be putting in place. i know we've got the spending review coming up, we are going to be hearing more about that soon. but what i would say is that soon. but what i would say is that the tone of the meeting wasn't readily positive. i'm notjust sing that to give a politicians answer, it was generally very positive meeting. to give us an idea. was extra funding discussed ? meeting. to give us an idea. was extra funding discussed? you didn't wa nt extra funding discussed? you didn't want the funding to go into the hs two process does not project in fall, you wanted more regional spread of that cash will stop can you give us any indication of what was discussed on that's? welcome it's a meeting with the payments are. of course funding was discussed not discussed. it's always what we do is ask for more from our

communities. 0ne do is ask for more from our communities. one of the key things that unites essays he wants to deliver for the north. but you keep on saying that funding was discussed, but on what issues for these crucial seats? a huge range of issues, tim. things like delivering for town centres, things like that towns fund which is going well that a lot of committees are benefiting from and looking at how we can bounce back, that we bounce back better, we build back better and ensure that our communities in the north bounce back properly and effectively and with the best possible chances as we move forward out of the pandemic. 0k, some areas have been given quite large sums, haven't they, too transform deprived areas and steel in places like that. are there any big ticket things you can give us an idea about that was discussed today? nothing that i kinda want to particularly discuss at the moment, but this is the point, over the next few days and weeks, the prime minister is going to talk to you a lot more about his plans, he's been talking about this relaunch that's been coming this

week, andl relaunch that's been coming this week, and i think frankie can your viewers at home probably want to hear directly the payments rather than from a backbencher like me. did he seem as fit as a butchers dog? he seems absolutely fit as a fiddle, and it was really good to see them in such great farm. thank you very much indeed. the headlines on bbc news... another breakthrough in the battle against cornavirus — an american vaccine said to be nearly 95% effective. britain buys up five million doses. the prime minister is self—isolating after meeting an mp who's tested positive for coronavirus. borisjohnson says he has no symptoms, but says "the rules are the rules". talks to thrash out a post—brexit trade deal resume in brussels, with both sides calling for compromise. still celebrating lewes hamilton's victor yesterday. 0nto sport now.

good evening. now that david beckham owns an american team, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that two us film stars are taking over at a british club. the fans of national league club wrexham have approved the bid, andd can now expect a lot of attention. craig templeton reports. 0 nto 0nto sport now. another bizarre twist in the strangest of years as it was confirmed hollywood is coming to wrexham. yes, actors ryan reynolds bid to take over the national league club has been accepted national league club has been a cce pted by national league club has been accepted by nearly 99% of the wrexham's supporters trust. they made the announcement in typical comedic fashion, whilst advertising wrexham's sponsor. why are we pitching a trailer manufacturer in wales? well, because we just became owners of wrexham association football, and they are our team sponsor. you may have never heard of wrexham, but you will. so to the wrexham supporters

trust, thank you for your faith and trust, thank you for your faith and trust in us. we are humbled and we are already getting to work. this is really happening. other trailer companies are available, but in all seriousness, it's quite a development for a club that nearly went out of business in 200a. the pair have said they want to turn wrexham into a globalforest pair have said they want to turn wrexham into a global forest and could invest as much as £2 million. it didn't take long for it though wrexham supporters to get into the superhero super next to. is great news not only for the club at the whole town, this is just going to change wrexham. in september, ryan reynolds responded to an old tweet about fans about coming to wrexham with him replying, "you never know." well, now we do, 110w "you never know." well, now we do, now he has tweeted wrexham is the name. the club's most famous moment have been beating arsenal in the 1992 fa cup. what our goal! mickey thomas! but

110w what our goal! mickey thomas! but now they are getting more than just a spanking of star dust. craig templeton, bbc news. —— a sprinkling of star dust. england will be without jordan henderson and raheem sterling for their nations league game against iceland on wednesday. henderson was taken off at half—time in the defeat to belgium with tightness in his leg, and adds his name to a growing list of injury concerns at his club liverpool — while sterling has returned to manchester city after not making an appearance at all during the current international break. world number one novak djokovic has made a winning start at the atp finals in london. djokovic eased his way to victory at an empty o2 arena in straight sets against diego schwartzmann of argentina. the victory puts djokovic top of his group as he looks to win the event for a record equalling sixth time. we don't get to experience this format in any other tournament throughout the season, so, even if you lose a match or even two matches ina group, you lose a match or even two matches in a group, you still have an opportunity to qualify for the semi

finals. so, you know, i have been playing the finals in this arena for many years, and you know, i've been blessed to experience some incredible matches and atmospheres. you know, i must say that it feels very strange to play in front of the empty stands. olympic champion caeleb dressel has set a new world record in the men's 100m individual medley, becoming the first person to go under 50 seconds in the event. the american set the time of 119.88 seconds for the cali condors team in their international swimming league semi final in budapest. ireland captain johnny sexton and robbie henshaw have both been ruled out of this weekend's autumn nations cup game against england. sexton's had a scan on a hamstring injury that he sustained in friday's win over wales. it leaves head coach andy farrell with dilemmas surrounding the number 10 jersey and the captaincy. that's all the sport for now. great to see you. thank you very much indeed. the health secretary, matt hancock,

says care homes should finally be able to allow family visits in time for christmas. a trial involving coronavirus testing has begun across 20 care homes in hampshire, devon and cornwall. it follows weeks of campaigning by relatives who say residents are deteriorating without family contact. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt reports. this was mid—march, before lockdown, the last time 67—year—old bob sutch and his wife kris were able to hug. he has alzheimer's and has just moved into a care home. i miss you so much. she cries. yeah. since then, most of their contact has been like this, deeply distressing for them both. the testing pilot offers hope for the future, but it still feels a long way off. it has been absolutely cruel to see him scratching at the window,

calling "come on, come in." he does not understand, he is in the latter stages of dementia and his well—being and quality of life has been severely impacted, as has mine. their son is a doctor working on a busy hospital covid ward and he deals with the risks each day and says it should be possible for families to have closer contact in care homes. it isa it is a catastrophe, but everyone is ina similarscenario, it is a catastrophe, but everyone is in a similar scenario, including me. you know, you don't get this time back. my father and lots of other people in hospital will deteriorate in this period and we appreciate the difficulties everybody is facing, it is not easy for us to manage, but it must be managed and we must find solutions. testing is seen as the key to safe visits. here, i was tested at home by care staff who had a machine to provide a quick result. the pilot scheme will use slightly different test, but will allow regular tests for named relatives and friends it is promised it will roll out nationally. our goal is to ensure

that we have the testing available in every care home by christmas to make sure that people can then take a test and therefore see their loved ones safely. to comply with cqc regulations... but with the number of coronavirus cases rising in hospitals, some care homes like this one in scarborough are also being asked to take covid—positive patients. they have had to pass high infection control checks. we have a covid positive isolated floor, dedicated to staff, so they do not come into contact with anyone else. these people have to be looked after somewhere and if we don't look after them, they have to go miles away for their recuperation. it underlines the complications of this situation, balancing the many pressures with the needs of residents and families. allison holt, bbc news. the health secretary has also confirmed that the nhs will be opening a network of a0 long covid

clinics across the england, which will be in place by the end of the month. matt hancok said that "many thousands" of people were affected by long covid — characterised by long term symptoms of fatigue, muscle pain and breathlessness, including among the fit and young. the government is hoping to double the uk's daily coronavirus testing capacity by opening two new laboratories known as "megalabs", the facilities are set to open early next year at an unconfirmed site in scotland and in leamington spa. they'll be able to process up to 600,000 tests per day. the latest data shows current capacity is 520,000 — although the number actually processed each day is lower. there's growing concern amongst health bosses in hull — as the area has become the worst hit in the country by covid—19. the council's leader has described the local situation as a "‘health emergency" and urged the prime minister to take more action. vickyjohnson reports

from the hull royal infirmary. stepping through to the sharp end of this pandemic. hull's intensive care unit. out on the street, people are getting tired of the restrictions. here on the front line, they are battle weary. it's overwhelming. i've never had a year like this in my whole career as a nurse. you have a sense of dread about what the next few months will be. during the first peak in the spring they had 112 patients at hull royal infirmary with coronavirus, today there are more than 150. they are expecting even more. it feels like it could rapidly escalate out of control. with nothing that we can really do to prevent it. we are getting busy and it's getting busier at an alarming rate. getting patient after patient. seeing a greater number of admissions than we saw last time. laura isjust 31. she admits she never took the threat

of the virus seriously. until now. i didn't wear a mask because of my mental health. i thought i wasn't going to get it. itjust proved me wrong. i've never really been ill. sharon has been in intensive care for a fortnight and admits she has been fighting for her life. very bad. yes. i maybe thought at one point, is it going to go too far, they can't do anything for me? and ray had this message to those who don't think things are that bad. for the doubters out there who don't believe in it, it is here. and this is very busy. the nurses don't stop. staff here tried so hard to keep other services going but now routine operations and appointments are having to be cancelled. staff who would normally work in operating theatres are going to be redeployed here to support the nurses and doctors working here in intensive care. as in march, coronavirus

is disrupting the whole functioning of the hospital. eight months into this pandemic, the doctors and nurses are quite simply running on empty. i've got nurses in there who have been here a lot longer than i have, they are starting to buckle, you rely on them staff. they are seeing it at home, work, there has been no let—up since the last time. does it take its toll? it does. i have two little ones at home and to have to come home from here, and i go home and i try and click into mum. but you've been here with infected patients. most of us are getting fed up with the restrictions on our lives but the nurses here think we could do more. i personally don't cope well in a lockdown situation, i hate every minute of it, but i would be the first to say restrictions now are probably not tight enough because we are getting too many patients coming in. sentiments echoed by the trust's chief executive. today the leader of the city council

has called the local situation a health emergency and has urged the government to take action to support the city. vickyjohnson, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there. the weather looks like being unusually mild for the next couple of days. we've seen the cloud streaming in today, and that's still around overnight with some patches of rain and drizzle around too. but it's really across western scotland that we'll see the rain turning steadier and heavier in the highlands, argyle and butte, and by the middle part of the week, that could lead to some flooding as well. if anything, temperature is going to be rising overnight, 12—14 by the end of the night with a stronger south—westerly wind by this stage. that will continue to blow in the cloud during tuesday. little bit of drizzle over the hills, but certainly the wetter weather continuing to affect some western areas of scotland. it's going to be very mild, temperature is widely15—16 degrees. but where we get some breaks in the cloud, to the east of high ground, temperatures could reach as high as 18 celsius. now, this very mild air is coming from a long way south.

this is tropical maritime air. the weather will start to change, i think, on wednesday when there is still some rain around. a significant change with much colder conditions, though, on thursday. hello. this is bbc news with tim willcox. the headlines... another breakthrough in the battle against coronavirus — an american vaccine said to be

nearly 95% effective. britain buys up five million doses. it's brilliant news, absolutely brilliant. it's the second penalty now. that's also gone into the back of the net, so we are starting to feel in a better position. it doesn't matter that i am fit as a butcher's dog and feel great but the prime minister is still forced to self—isolate, along with six tory mps and two political aides, after a breakfast meeting last week at downing street. testing pilot schemes mean relatives should be able to visit loved ones in care homes by christmas, says the government. talks to thrash out a post—brexit trade deal resume in brussels, with both sides calling for compromise. and the british diplomat who jumped into a river in china to save a drowning student. he is hailed a hero.

now on bbc news, your questions answered. another vaccine has reported positive early results today. moderna says its jab is nearly 95% effective at protecting against coronavirus. that is 5% more than pfizer last week. health secretary matt hancock says the uk has ordered five million vaccines, enough for 2.5 million people, but it won't be available until the spring. april, we hear. here with me to answer all your questions is the immunologist professor robin shattock, who is head of immunity at imperial college london. thank you forjoining us. we have had loads of different questions

about this, another piece of good news, a week after pfizer. let's start with this one from christopher. as most vaccines take ten years, how can we trust one that ta kes te n ten years, how can we trust one that takes ten months? that's a great question and i can understand people being concerned by thinking there might be short cuts in the process. it's important to remember that most of these technologies have been being developed over a period of several years, and what has taken place is the clinical component has been compressed, so these vaccines are still being tested in the same numbers of individuals, tens of thousands, as would be required for any vaccine, so there has been no short cut. it's just been done in a compressed timescale. there hasn't ever been a coronavirus vaccine before, is there? correct, and the reason is, for sars and miss, the

disease naturally went away before the vaccine could be developed. this person says, is it possible for any of the vaccine is to have long—term consequences we don't know about yet? it's impossible to exclude that there might be very rare long—term consequences, although this is pretty unlikely. if you look at the health warnings with any medicines you are taking, classified as common, uncommon and rare, you are taking, classified as common, uncommon and rare, and you are taking, classified as common, uncommon and rare, and rare is something that occurs between, in up is something that occurs between, in up to one person per 10,000 individuals. these vaccines have been studied in 30 to 40,000 individuals, and we know that they are already shown to be safe. these particular two vaccines, once injected, they are completely eliminated from your system within about three days, so you might have an acute side effect, like a sore arm or even feeling a bit feverish,

but the potential for any long—term consequences is but the potential for any long—term consequences is very unlikely and greatly reduced, compared to the potential long—term consequences of contracting covid—19. potential long—term consequences of contracting covid-19. once you have been vaccinated, it does what it needs to do in the first three days, even though you go back for a booster three or four weeks later? absolutely, essentially its genetic material that gets cleared from your body very quickly, so it comes in, it stimulates the immune system, it disappears and is cleared, so the chance that it will have a long—term consequence is very unlikely, and so much unlikely that they are barely worth considering compared to the long—term consequences of covid—19. george asks, if the vaccine only stops coronavirus symptoms, would you still be able to catch the virus spread it to others? we don't know

right now. these two vaccines have reported activity against developing the disease. that is important. we don't know whether it will block transmission. i think it's really important for people to realise the difference between 90 and 95% is meaningless. it doesn't mean that one vaccine is better than the other, it is still based on small numbers studied over a small period. we don't know how effective these vaccines will be at six months or 12 months, so we might see that figure come down over time. chris that brings us to this question, naseem says, some scientists have said we will return to some degree of normality for a year because of vaccine, and others have said the virus is here to stay for ever. who is right, or both statements right? they are both right. i think, if we manage to get vaccines rolled out, particularly if we have coverage of the majority of vulnerable people in the majority of vulnerable people in the uk, we will be able to start

getting back to a degree of normality from the summer onwards, but the virus is still going to persist, so we are likely to need booster vaccinations and ensure that we have a strategy for the next five to ten years and, unless the virus is eliminated, we will always have the potential for the virus is eliminated, we will always have the potentialfor the virus being seeded from other parts of the world, which is what it is also important for us to ensure there is access to these vaccines around the world. still don't know that herd immunity, but maybe we can come onto that at the end. the more questions, susan asks, will the vaccines which boost the immune system suitable for people who take immunosuppressants? all of these vaccines don't have an infectious component, so they will certainly be safe for people on immunosuppressants. certainly be safe for people on immunosuppressa nts. what we certainly be safe for people on immunosuppressants. what we don't know is how effective they will be, so we know is how effective they will be, so we need to do those studies and see what sort of immune response they induce. it is unknown as to how well they will work, but there is no

perceived danger in taking the vaccine at this point. this is from martin, which is somewhat left field. martin says, i am allergic to eggs. can i be vaccinated? he says he can't have the because of that. that's a nice question, and the flu vaccine is traditionally grown in eggs, but it's the only vaccine that is produced in x. of the vaccines are being developed against code 19 developed in eggs, so you will not have a problem if you are allergic to eggs with any of these vaccines. —— none of the vaccines. to eggs with any of these vaccines. -- none of the vaccines. cheri says, will people who have had a positive antibody test be vaccinated? will people who have had a positive antibody test be vaccinated ?m will people who have had a positive antibody test be vaccinated? if they are ina antibody test be vaccinated? if they are in a vulnerable category, i would recommend they are vaccinated, because infection gives very varied levels of immune response, so it's difficult to know if you will be protected and for how long, and we

see at the moment that the prime minister is self—isolating. a booster vaccine, a vaccine will booster vaccine, a vaccine will boost your immune response and give you better protection long—term. picking up on herd immunity and the antibodies, the prime minister said his antibodies were racing around his antibodies were racing around his system like the butcher's dog or whatever it was, but do we know that asa whatever it was, but do we know that as a fact, that the antibodies for him, who has had it, we'll be protecting him now? do we know that for a fact? we don't know that as a fa ct. for a fact? we don't know that as a fact. i don't know what levels of antibodies he has or whether they area antibodies he has or whether they are a type of antibodies that neutralise the virus. 0ne are a type of antibodies that neutralise the virus. one would expect they might well be but how long that protection lasts we don't know, and so it is sensible for him to adhere to the rules that the government has a set and self—isolate the relevant time period. with the two vaccines we know about and the others that are coming ina

know about and the others that are coming in a few months' time, we think, we expect herd immunity to be 40,50, think, we expect herd immunity to be 40, 50, 60% globally within what sort of timeframe? do we know how long that might last? it's important to emphasise right now we don't know whether these vaccines will block transmission, so therefore the herd immunity question is not relevant until we get data that says how well vaccines work against transmission and infection, rather than disease. when we have that data, we can calculate how many people might need to be vaccinated but, at the moment, we are not in a position or even contemplating that we need to do mass vaccination to reach herd immunity. this question from rhiannon, who will be eligible for the vaccine first? we know this will need to be prioritised, and this relates to the fact that it prevents against the disease, so somebody who is unlikely to get disease might not necessarily benefit from the vaccine. it will be rolled out first

to the most vulnerable, people in ca re to the most vulnerable, people in care homes and staff of care homes, and then rolled out according to age, also to the health sector and social workers, and to people with underlying conditions that might make them more susceptible to developing disease. when you say age, the elderly first of all, care homes and then decreasing down the age scale, so people over 60, people over 50, people over 40 and whatever? we don't know whether the government will decide to go lower than 50. we are watching to see how well these vaccines work and whether they block transmission. a couple more questions. rowley asks, has an mrna vaccine ever been produced and worked before? that's a good question. we have had mrna vaccines produced in the cancer field, question. we have had mrna vaccines produced in the cancerfield, and some of those have worked, but the

trails have been very limited, and we have had a number of clinical trials where they have shown encouraging results, but so far we haven't had a maxine licensed using mrna technology stop —— we haven't had a vaccine licensed. if they get through the licensing hurdle, these will be the first to be licensed, and they will have achieved that because they have been able to be tested in so many individuals tested againstan tested in so many individuals tested against an infection that is of very high prevalence and they are able to get the statistical answer to show that they work. finally, from sj, will be 0xford vaccine, the one with astrazeneca, be approved soon? the simple answer is i don't know. i anticipate that they will get data soon anticipate that they will get data soon that will tell us whether it is working or not. i am really helpful for my 0xford colleagues that it does help well, because that would be another really important vaccine to add to our two, but until the

data comes through, it is anybody‘s guess. i also think it is considerably cheaper than the other ones that have been discovered so far. good to speak to you, professor. thank you for all your knowledge on those questions. my pleasure. the president—elect of the united states —joe biden — has been speaking from his campaign headquarters in the state of delaware. mr biden and vice president elect kamala harris have today held meetings with leading figures in the business world about how they intend to beat covid—19 and get the us economy back on track. it was really encouraging, quite frankly, to get people, business and labour, together, agreeing on the way forward, which i am convinced

the american people will be willing to do when they hear what we have in mind. iam pleased it all came together around the same table to advance areas of common ground, and we agreed we are going to continue these conversations. they represent very different perspectives but i am convinced we can come together around the same table to advance areas of common ground, which are really... i wish you could have all heard the conversation. it was really encouraging. that is what we we re really encouraging. that is what we were ready to discuss today. we are all agreed we want to get the economy back on track and we need our workers to be back on the job by getting the virus under control. we are going into a very dark winter. things are going to get much tougher before they get easier. that requires sparing no effort to fight covid so we can open our businesses safely, resume our lives and put this pandemic behind us. it will be difficult but it can be done for they are all agreed that means rallying the country behind a

national strategy with robust public health measures, like mandatory masks, widely available testing with rapid results, scale up production of life—saving treatments and therapeutics and save, equitable and free distribution of the vaccine. it's great news that moderna and pfizer have each come up with vaccines that are in excess of 90% effectiveness, and getting the vaccine vaccination are two different things. everyone on our call today, and our zoom today, agreed that, the sooner that we have access to the administration's distribution plan, the sooner this would be moved forward. as we battle covid, we have to make sure that business workers have the tools and resources and national guidance and health and safety standards to operate safely. we can do that, we can bring democrats and republicans

together. for millions of americans who have lost hours of wages or have lost theirjobs, we all agree now call that we can deliver immediate relief, and it need to be done quickly. affordable health care for millions of people who have lost it orare in danger of millions of people who have lost it or are in danger of losing it, childcare, sick leave, family leave, so childcare, sick leave, family leave, so workers don't have to between work and family. corporate america agreed on this today. we need the support of small businesses and entrepreneurs, the backbone of our communities, which are teetering near the edge. and we are all agreed on the urgent need for funding for states and localities to keep front line workers and essential workers on thejob. vital line workers and essential workers on the job. vital public services running, law enforcement officers, educators, first responders, like we did in the recovery act of 2009, saving literally millions ofjobs. there is a reason why the federal government is able to run in

deficit, because the states must, must balance their budgets, and they are in real trouble. you can see hundreds of thousands of police officers, firefighters, first responders, health clinics, you are going to see them going out of business. right now, congress should come together and pass a covid relief package like the heroes act, which the house passed six months ago. 0nce which the house passed six months ago. once we shut down the virus and deliver economic relief to workers and businesses, we can start to build back better than before. we talked about how we have an opportunity to come out even stronger, more resilient than we we re stronger, more resilient than we were when we went in, and i wish you could have heard corporate leaders and major labour leaders singing the same hymn. joe biden in delaware. the headlines on bbc news...

another breakthrough in the battle against coronavirus — an american vaccine said to be nearly 95% effective. britain buys up 5 million doses. the prime minister is self—isolating after meeting an mp who's tested positive for coronavirus. borisjohnson says he has no symptoms, but says "the rules are the rules". talks to thrash out a post brexit trade deal resume in brussels, with both sides calling for compromise. 0ur reality check correspondent, chris morris, takes us through the key sticking points. that is in those talks between the uk and the eu. any free trade deal agreed in the next few weeks won't be particularly ambitious. there hasn't been time for that. but even with fairly limited aims, negotiators are still struggling with some familiar themes. first — the level playing field — measures to ensure companies on one side don't have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other. all trade agreements have them, but the eu wants the uk to stick particularly closely to its rules

on things like workers' rights, environmental regulations, and especially state aid or financial support for businesses. the uk, on the other hand, says the whole point of brexit was to break free from following common rules. second — fisheries. the eu is pushing for maximum access for its boats to continue fishing in uk waters. whereas british negotiators say the uk is now an independent coastal state, and its boats will get priority. if there is no agreement on fishing, eu boats will lose out badly. but the uk won't get the access it wants to the eu markets where it sells most of its fish and many other things besides. then, there is the governance of any future agreement, that is partly about the overall structure of any deal, but also, how a new agreement would be enforced, and how disputes would be settled. another sensitive issue, implementing the brexit withdrawal agreement, signed last year, especially the protocol on northern ireland, and the land border which now divides the uk from the eu.

the uk's internal market bill which could override parts of the northern ireland protocol has added to eu concerns that the uk may not live up to some of the commitments it has made. so, plenty of issues to resolve, and it normally takes years to do a trade deal. but this process only has a matter of weeks left. deadlines have already come and gone. any last—minute agreement needs to be added to hundreds of pages of legal text, and it all needs to be translated into all eu languages, and ratified by parliaments on both sides before the end of next month. even with a deal, the uk's relationship with the eu will be very different outside the single market and the customs union. there will be far more bureaucracy for businesses that trade across the border. and free movement of people in both directions will come to an end. any agreement would do very little for the trade in services, but it would mean avoiding tariffs or taxes on goods crossing the border. is that enough to tip the balance?

well, even at this very late stage, there are no guarantees. politicians on both sides need to make concessions on some pretty fundamental issues. but we may know more before the end of this week. 19 million nhs dental treatments have been missed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown in march — according to figures seen by bbc news. the british dental association has warned the health secretary that the drop in patient numbers could result in hundreds of dentists across the uk going bust over the next year. and it's notjust the dentists who are suffering, as dan johnson reports.

the filling had fallen out and the tooth had shattered into pieces. two or three teeth had got together and formed one big infection that had gone right up into the sinuses and around to the top of my eye and was basically like having somebody pushing in your eye really, really hard. he was suffering with an a bscess, hard. he was suffering with an abscess, starting to go blind and, despite many calls and even a visit to hospital, he couldn't see a dentist because he wasn't registered and treatment was restricted. dentist because he wasn't registered and treatment was restrictedlj dentist because he wasn't registered and treatment was restricted. i got the sense that they were all closed and that, if you were suffering, the best thing you could do was go home and suffer. after eight months in pain, friends covered the cost of private treatment here, but other patients are still reluctantly being turned away or kept waiting. of his story made me cry as i know it touched the hearts of my team for thatis touched the hearts of my team for that is not what you train to do, is a hygienist that managed to practice, and all our staff feel the same. it's heartbreaking for them we are going to see rising gum disease,

rising mouth cancer, rising anxiety and mental health, because people lose teeth. it doesn't bode well for the future of dentistry. the wait to get in here only looks likely to get longer because dentists are still restricted in the treatments that can offer and the number of patients they can see, so they are likely to suffer more and dentists are wondering about their prospects. the question being asked is, what is the government's commitment to the future of dentistry? the department of health and social care told us priority access should be given to urgent care and vulnerable patients, and says the nhs is working with the profession to make more treatment available. but there are questions about the way dentists will be paid in future and what that will mean for waiting lists. here, in future and what that will mean forwaiting lists. here, leaving in future and what that will mean for waiting lists. here, leaving an hour between patients and the cost of mountains of protective equipment is putting this practice and hundreds more at risk. before covid—19, we saw 20 to 30 patients a

day and we are now barely seeing ten, and we are trying to help patients. we are open to almost 11pm and we are going to carry on doing that but we will need help. tim is on the mend but other patients are still struggling to get seen and, if some dentists don't survive, that will only get worse. i really recommend having this if you are poor or marginalised. the difference between nhs and private could mean the difference between suffering and not suffering. and finally, a british diplomat has been described as a "hero" after diving into a river in central china to save the life of a woman who was drowning. stephen ellison, who's consul general in chongqing, was walking alongside the river when he spotted the student face down in the water. 0ur diplomatic correspondent, james landale, has the details. a sunny day by the river, but look closely on the left.

someone's fallen in. there is a moment of shock. no one moves. the woman's clearly struggling. she is beginning to lose consciousness. but step forward stephen ellison, the consul general in the area, with natty socks. he didn't hesitate. there is no time to think. there is no time to consider. there is no rational decision. there was a girl in difficulties. ithink if... if no one had taken action she would have lost her life. as he pulls for the bank, he lifts her face clear. for a short time, he feared the worst. but then she is breathing again. i'm sure someone would have jumped in, i had to get my shoes off and jump in. they eventually haul her up and our hero climbs out.

i have had a few comments from any friends on the socks. i didn't have time to take my phone out. that's gone now. he has been hailed a hero in china where, his courage has been shared with millions on social media and done much to improve britain's reputation. the woman, a 24—year—old student, has recovered and invited her rescuer to dinner next weekend. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello, again. later this week, but probably only briefly, we are in for some colder weather. but for the next couple of days, it is going to be very mild for the time of year. there will be a lot of cloud, mind you, and for western scotland, some heavy enough rain to give some flooding by the middle of the week. we are seeing the cloud rolling in today, sunshine has been hard to find. we have had some rain and drizzle coming in from the west, mainly on that weather front there. that is continuing to push its way

eastwards at the moment. so, some outbreaks of mostly light rain and drizzle effect in many parts of the country for a while, but it is really across western scotland that we will see the rain turning steadier and heavier, as the night goes on, especially for the highlands and into argyll and bute. a lot of cloud overnight, and if anything, temperatures are going to be rising as the night goes on. so a very mild 12 to 14 by the end of the night, and by this time, we will have a stronger south—westerly wind. that will continue to blow any cloudy skies on tuesday, a bit of light rain and drizzle on the hills, most of the rain, though, continuing to affect western scotland. it is going to be very mild, temperatures widely 15 or 16 degrees. get some breaks in the cloud and some sunshine to the east of high ground, and temperatures could reach as high as 18 celsius. now, we've got this very mild air from coming from a long way south, all the way from the tropics, this is tropical maritime air. but things are going to change and by thursday, the air is coming down from the north. it will feel much, much colder. and a transition day, really, is wednesday.

this is when the weather starts to change. we've still got low pressure bringing some heavy rain in scotland through the day. on that weather front, as it runs eastwards, the rain becomes light and patchy, but we still got the last of this very mild air in the south—east. elsewhere, though, those temperatures probably sliding away a little bit in those stronger winds during the afternoon. however, there is much colder air to come. 0vernight on wednesday night into thursday morning, it is going to be very windy. a spell of wet weather for a while and then the northerly winds arrive, and by thursday morning, there could be some ice and snow in northern parts of scotland. there will be some sunshine and showers through the day. on thursday, the showers become fewer. those strong winds which we will have in the morning down those north sea coasts do eventually ease down. but it is certainly going to feel cold, especially in those strong winds, for a while. temperatures are going to be lower, maybe only four or five degrees in scotland, perhaps double figures in the far south.

this is bbc news. we are beginning to like mondays — for the second week running we have positive news on a covid vaccine. moderna have exceeded, even their own expectations, with a vaccine that is said to be 95% effective. moderna and pfizer says they hope to have enough doses by the end of december to begin vaccinating millions of people around the world. it can't come soon enough. the pandemic is ripping through america, and the infections — and the deaths — are rising fast. also in the programme.... boris johnson is looking to regain the iniative after a turbulent week inside no 10 — which is where he'll be self isolating — after coming into contact with a covid positive mp. and a new generation of americans getting to know the iron lady — thanks to a new series of the crown.