yes, it is the equivalent of the ema in europe and the mhra here. what in europe and the mhra here.europe and the mhra here. what about places like norway for example, who are saying they are convinced there is a link between a very rare blood clot and your vaccine and are continuing with the suspension, what do you think of that? ' �* ' �* suspension, what do you think of that? ' �* ~ ~ ., suspension, what do you think of that? ~ �* ~ ~ ., . ., that? the mhra, the ema and who have said is no proven — that? the mhra, the ema and who have said is no proven link _ that? the mhra, the ema and who have said is no proven link and _ that? the mhra, the ema and who have said is no proven link and the _ said is no proven link and the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks. when vaccines are used in tens of millions of people, there will be some adverse events that happen after some people have been vaccinated. it is very difficult to work out if the vaccine had anything to do with that. it is important that we continue to investigate, but it is important to remember these events are

in— regulator, our equivalent of the mhra in europe, there is no indication— mhra in europe, there ish the risks of— in preventing covid—19 outweigh the risks of side—effects. and i think that is— risks of side—effects. and i think that is really important to emphasise that is the official position— emphasise that is the official position the european regulator, as it is the _ position the european regulator, as it is the official position of our regulator. _ it is the official position of our regulator, the mhra. but behind the scenes, there is a lot of— but behind the scenes, there is a lot of work— but behind the scenes, there is a lot of work going on to look at whether— lot of work going on to look at whether there is a signal in relation _ whether there is a signal in relation to what we call venous thromboembolic events, clots, vt for short. _ thromboembolic events, clots, vt for short. and _ thromboembolic events, clots, vt for short, and there is a lot of evidence _ short, and there is a lot of evidence emerging now that is reassuring that there is no overall excess _ reassur

the mhra _ will now hand over to june. good afternoon. the mhra has - will now hand over tojune.widespread use of a vaccine, to confirm that they are performing as expected, to identify any new side effects that arise, and to ensure that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks. we have been able to gather a large amount of data on the safety profile of the available vaccines and have done a rigorous, scientific review of all the available data with regards to suspected blood clots. our review, alongside a critical assessment of leading independent scientists in the commission on human medicines, shows that there is no difference that blood claws in vanes are occurring more than would be expected in the absence of vaccination for either vaccine. the public can have every confidence in the thoroughness of our review. we have also received five reports of a different, a rare form of blood clot in the cerebral sinuses, cerebral sinus pain thrombosis, occurring together with lowered blood platelets shortly after vaccination with the covid-19 platelets shortly after vaccination wit

their technology and capability, which has been approved by the mhra, is remarkable.es of the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine this year. it truly is a partnership that we can be proud of. i also want to put on the record my thanks to both astrazeneca and pfizer, who have been remarkable partners in this historic endeavour. we have committed to targets on which it is vital to say that those targets to offer the vaccine to everyone aged 50 and over by the 15th of april, and to all adults by the end ofjuly. i can confirm that we are on track to meet both of these targets. i also want to clear up some rumours that have been circulating and give people reassurance. there will be no weeks in april with no first doses. there will be no cancelled appointments as a result of supply issues. second doses will go ahead as planned. most importantly, the vaccine data published yesterday show the life—saving impact of this vaccine. it is notjust that the vaccines are safe, it's that they make you say. —— safe. you are much safer having had one. there is a downing street briefing later th

but the uk's regulator the mhra insists available evidence did not suggest the vaccine was the cause.9 will not continue to pose a threat. we need also to recognise that this is a virus that is not going to go away and i have no doubt that in the autumn, there will be a further wave of infections. so as restrictions continue to be lifted, like the reopening of schools in england this week, the scientific community will be watching the data closely for any causes for concern. anna collinson, bbc news. 16 minutes past six. you are watching bbc news. the headlines on bbc news... the head of the met police says she does not intend to resign and welcomes a review into the police's handling of last night's vigil for sarah everard. hundreds of demonstrators are gathered this evening near the houses of parliament — earlier they lay on the ground for a minutes' silence. they have now dispersed. the foreign secretary makes another call for the immediate release of british—iranian nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe,after she faces new allegations of anti—government propaganda in court. a report by mps sa

that builds on the very strong feedback we got last week, from the mhra in the u.k., saying the vaccine is highly effective and safe for use. it does not mean, course, as allies, for every product, every vaccine, we will clearly monitor every case we will get. it is fair to say based on the current asia, the vaccine -- the current data, the vaccine is highly effective and very safe. >> there has been a difficult time recovering after in december the study results out of the astrazeneca vaccine, that was confusing. there were two groups and in one it showed a 90% efficacy rate and another 60% efficacy. how much do you think that color the view of people, versus some other policy era perhaps, on the part of politicians, who have not come out and endorsed a vaccine as much as you would have liked? >> i think that is noise the case. the speed in which we are developing vaccines is unprecedented. we are not cutting corners in any way or form. what we are learning, like for our other products as well. i think the importance of today is that, this trial has been done in a p

this is a safe, effective vaccine, as recommended by mhra. and let's remember, this virus kills people. it kills people my age, younger people and older people. the world health organization says there is no evidence the jab is causing the blood clots and the european medicines agency insists its benefits far outweigh any potential risks. also tonight: more protestors gather outside westminster this evening after the outcry following the police�*s handling of saturday's vigilfor sarah everard. a plan for more, cheaper and greener buses in england to encourage us out of our cars. after almost a year of coronavirus, senior government figures tell the bbc how the government should have locked down earlier in the autumn. i like it here. no you don't. no i don't, i like it here. no you don't. no i don't. but _ i like it here. no you don't. no i don't, but i _ i like it here. no you don't. no i don't, but i like _ i like it here. no you don't. no i don't, but i like you. _ and a host of british talent is among this year's oscar nominations. and com

but the uk's regulator the mhra insists available evidence did not suggest the vaccine was the cause.9 will not continue to pose a threat. we need also to recognise that this is a virus that is not going to go away and i have no doubt that in the autumn, there will be a further wave of infections. so as restrictions continue to be lifted, like the reopening of schools in england this week, the scientific community will be watching the data closely for any causes for concern. anna collinson, bbc news. the british—iranian woman, nazanin zaghari—ratcliffe, who has just completed a five—year prison sentence in tehran, has again appeared in court to face new charges. she's accused of propaganda against iran, including taking part in a demonstration in london 12 years ago. our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley is here. it was only last sunday we were talking about having the ankle tag removed so she could finally leave her home and she was under house arrest. we knew then she was going to face this court case. what happened, why is this almost as it appears to us to people who have n

yes, it is the equivalent of the mhra i over there? there? yes, it is the - equivalent of the mhra we have in this country and the ema in europe. can i ask you what you think about the scientist in places like norway for example he was saying they are convinced there is still a link between a very rare blood clot and your vaccine and they are continuing with the suspension. what do you think of that? we with the suspension. what do you think of that?— with the suspension. what do you think of that? ~ ., , think of that? we need to remember that overall. — think of that? we need to remember that overall, mhra, _ think of that? we need to remember that overall, mhra, ema _ think of that? we need to remember that overall, mhra, ema and - think of that? we need to remember that overall, mhra, ema and the . think of that? we need to remember. that overall, mhra, ema and the who have said there is no proven link between thrombotic events and this vaccination and that the vaccine's benefits outweigh its risks and should be continue to abuse.

the former chief executive of the mhra, sir kent woods, says there has been a "dent in public confidenceention was that there should be a single safety review at the european medicines agency and that the member states would follow the advice of the european medicines agency. there was a press conference from the ema yesterday afternoon in which the advice was repeated that the vaccine was considered to be safe and that countries should continue to use it. that has been a consistent message out of the world health organization, it has been a consistent message out of the mhra in this country, and we have largest experience of the astrazeneca vaccine. we have given 11 million doses. we have an excellent system of monitoring safety in vaccine roll—outs and there has been confidence that the vaccine is performing as it should. let�*s talk to our chief political correspondent adam fleming. what is the latest from politicians on this? liii< what is the latest from politicians on this? , ., ., on this? uk is not getting involved in any diplomatic— on this? uk is not getting involved in any dip

>> the existing vaccination safety monitoring plan in place by ema and the mhra, for example, were veryonstructed. the clinical trial still had over 20,000 people for the clinical trial for astrozeneca, nothing to have this name. yellow cart, nothing of this nature. the vaccines weren't rushed. like anything,ou can do things faster. that doesn't imply there's been rushing. there's been very careful deliberation over the data. committees can make wrong decisions. once one makes a decision, that sort of poor decision making could case said -- cascade through several committees in defrl -- different countries. why is this country making this decision and why aren't we? we've seen in the past poor decisions by committees. i think the decision about restricting the astrozeneca vaccine to the under 5's was a bad decision and thaw knowle it's changed. and europe has a committee that should be dealing with this through processes they've put in place. it's a real shame that the european medicines volcanoes's plan for this is not being followed. ros: thank you very much. there's an ongoing debate

listeto me, listen to the scientists, what the european medicine agency had to say yesterday, what the mhrathe risk of covid, this is a great thing to do. ben: british prime minister boris johnson there. for weeks now, covid-19 infection rates have been falling across parts of the u.k. the are some towns in the north of england and the midlands that have bucked the trend, with infections remning relatively high. this is particularly true of areas where the local economy relies on manufacturing, construction, or food processing jo our health correspondent has been to south yorkshire, where infection rates remain stubbornly high. >> we have had to learn what works and what doesn't work, how to keep people safe. >> this is is a disease -- this is a disease of inequality. >> i am physically drained, just how alone people feel. >> this isn't the kind of work you can do from home. for nearly 40 years, this firm has manufactured springs for cars, vans and trains. it is hard, physical and hands-on. but the pandemic meant to rethink about how to keep business going while making sure staff stayed saf

the scientists will listen to what the european medicines agency have to say yesterday, to what the mhra risk is covid, this is a great thing to do. thank you all very much. thank you. but it's notjust about public confidence in vaccines — a bigger issue for most governments in europe is that they don't have enough doses, so the vaccine rollout is lagging behind and covid cases are surging again. in poland, infections have reached the highest levels since november, and — in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus — a partial lockdown has just come into force. earlier i spoke with daniel tilles — who's the editor in chief of notes from poland. even before tonight, poland already had fairly strict restrictions in place, so most children are learning online from home, restaurants and cafes have been closed since the autumn, but what the government has done starting literally six minutes ago, it has just turned midnight here, is tough in those restrictions. the hotels which were allowed to reopen a few weeks ago now have to close, for swimming pools, cinemas, theatres have to close agai

sir kent woods, former chair of the mhra, thank— way.ually going through the front line with the patients and there was a nagging doubt that all of these discussions might have an effect on how people are feeling getting their vaccination, how has that played out in practice? we vaccination, how has that played out in ractice? ~ ., vaccination, how has that played out in ractice? ~ . ., ., ., vaccination, how has that played out in practice?— in practice? we have had a lot more calls, in practice? we have had a lot more calls. certainly— in practice? we have had a lot more calls, certainly yesterday _ in practice? we have had a lot more calls, certainly yesterday and - in practice? we have had a lot more calls, certainly yesterday and the i calls, certainly yesterday and the day before, as this was happening. we have had people calling us because they have concerns, they say, i've had a clot before, should i have it? and it has taken time. you have to talk to them and try to reassure them. i think other centres have also said they had se

i think that the mhra have made a very, very wise publication.rward on the current spread of coronavirus? thankfully, the number of cases is coming down and a number of hospitalisations and deaths is coming down even faster because of the vaccine. we can see the vaccine saving lives right across the uk right now. but one of the worries that we have, one of the risks is these new variants. thankfully, there is very, very small numbers in the uk now. we need to keep it that way. at the same time, do the scientific work in places like the university of glasgow, working across the uk, to make sure that we have the updated vaccine as soon as as safely possible. the european union's finance chief has said the uk's decision to make unilateral changes to the northern ireland protocol raises questions about whether it can be trusted in future trade negotiations. yesterday, the government announced that it was extending a grace period for border checks on some goods crossing the irish sea. mairead mcguinness accused the uk of breaching both trust and an in

you scientific— including with the uk's mhra.evitable that rare — millions of people, it is inevitable that rare and serious instances of illness _ that rare and serious instances of illness will — that rare and serious instances of illness will occur in the time immediately following vaccination. our immediately following vaccination. 0ur role _ immediately following vaccination. 0ur role in — immediately following vaccination. our role in the eu regulatory system is to rapidly— our role in the eu regulatory system is to rapidly detect in these instances and investigate whether there _ instances and investigate whether there may be a link to the vaccine or whether— there may be a link to the vaccine or whether they are the result of things— or whether they are the result of things which occur by chance close in time _ things which occur by chance close in time to— things which occur by chance close in time to the vaccination. we are committed — in time to the vaccination. we are committed to make sure that any new suspected _ co

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra.emember, this virus kills people, kills people my age, younger people and older people and the benefits are strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at that time. the eu roll—out was already lagging well behind that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow, before deciding whether to restart using the oxford astrazeneca vaccine. translation: the decision which is being taken - is to suspend, as a precaution of vaccinating with the astrazeneca vaccine, in the hope we can carry on quickly if the opinion of the european medicines agency allows. ten european countries have suspended the use of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine pending safety investigations. germany, italy, france, the netherlands and spain are the latest. ireland paused at the weekend following denmark, iceland. several other countries, including austria have stopped using certain batches of the vaccine. that leaves several eu nations using the jab,

the scientists will listen to what the european medicines agency have to say yesterday, to what the mhrak is covid, this is a great thing to do. thank you all very much. thank you. but it's notjust about public confidence in vaccines — a bigger issue for most governments in europe is that they don't have enough doses, so the vaccine roll—out is lagging behind and covid cases are surging again. in poland, infections have reached the highest levels since november, and — in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus — a partial lockdown hasjust come into force. from krakow is daniel tilles, he's the editor in chief of notes from poland. you've just had this, it's a partial lockdown from my understanding, explain what you can expect moving forwards when it comes to what people can do across the country now. , ., ., , ., now. good evening. even before toniuht, now. good evening. even before tonight. poland _ now. good evening. even before tonight, poland already - now. good evening. even before tonight, poland already had - now. good evening. even before| tonight, poland already had fairly

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra.ber, this virus kills people, kills people my age, younger people and older people and the benefits are strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at that time. the eu roll—out was already lagging well behind that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow, before deciding whether to restart using the oxford astrazeneca vaccine. translation: the decision - which is being taken is to suspend, as a precaution of vaccinating with the astrazeneca vaccine, in the hope we can carry on quickly if the opinion of the european medicines agency allows. ten european countries have suspended the use of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine pending safety investigations. germany, itlay, france, the netherlands and spain are the latest. ireland paused at the weekend following denmark, iceland. several other countries, including austria have stopped using certain batches of the vaccine. that leaves several eu nations using the jab, whi

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra, let's remember, this virus kills people, iteople my age, younger people and older people. the benefit is strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at this time. the eu vaccine roll out was already lagging well behind of that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow before deciding whether to restart using the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine. translation: the decision which has been taken is to suspend, _ as a precaution, vaccinating with the astrazeneca vaccine in the hope that we can resume quickly if the opinion of the european medicines agency allows. nine european countries have temporarily suspended all use of the oxford/astrazeneca vaccine pending safety investigations. germany, italy, france and the netherlands are the latest, ireland paused at the weekend following denmark, norway and iceland. several other eu countries including austria have stopped using certain batches of the vaccine. that still leaves spain and others in the eu currently using t

all the scientists, listen to what the european medicines agency had to say yesterday, to what the mhraaid. this is a great thing to do. thank you all very much. thank you. us presidentjoe biden and vice president kamala harris have met members of the asian american community in georgia following tuesday's mass shooting in which eight people were killed. hundreds of people are attending vigils for the victims. the attacks targetted asian—owned businesses, and six of the victims were women of asian ethnic origin. robert aaron long has been charged with eight counts of murder. our correspondent lebo diseko joins us from washington. we know that they are investigating whether this was a hate crime but it was still a markedly different approach, wasn't it, from the president and vice president to the comments from the offices after the suspect was arrested, when they quoted his remarks, saying that he may have had a bad day. yes, there was a lot of backlash at the local sheriff's department, the department where these attacks took place and as you said the spokesmen saying that the suspect

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra. remember, this virus kills people, kills people my age, younger people and older people and the benefits are strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at that time. the strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at that time.— this vaccine at that time. the eu roll-out was _ this vaccine at that time. the eu roll-out was already _ this vaccine at that time. the eu roll-out was already lagging - this vaccine at that time. the eu | roll-out was already lagging well roll—out was already lagging well behind that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow, before deciding whether to restart using the oxford astrazeneca vaccine. translation: astrazeneca vaccine. tuna/mom- astrazeneca vaccine. translation: . , ., . , translation: the decision which is beinu translation: the decision which is bein: taken translation: the decision which is being taken is _ translation: the decision which is being taken is to _ tr

the mhra is looking into it. stage it is very clear that there is no clear relationship between the vaccine and those events. those events are also there in people without any vaccination. having said that, patient safety is always the number one priority for us, like it is for other manufacturers. we take it very seriously. but let's not speculate, let's wait for the data. we will do a lot of studies in order to get a better review on it as well as other regulators in the world. of course, we also need to see the data from the other vaccines to get a very balanced view. but is far too early to speculate about how many times it's occurring in the normal population. haslinda: rudd talking with bloomberg. the coronavirus outbreak make household names of companies like moderna. now a new wave of vaccines is on the horizon that make it the world over the finish line of inoculation. our health care reporter joins us now. michelle, how many vaccines are in development? we have a dozen approved already. do we really nee

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra, let's remember, this virus kills people, itple my age, younger people and older people. the benefit is strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at this time. the eu vaccine roll out was already lagging well behind of that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow before deciding whether to restart using the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine. translation: the decision which has been taken is to suspend, _ as a precaution, vaccinating with the astrazeneca vaccine in the hope that we can resume quickly if the opinion of the european medicines agency allows. astrazeneca says more than 17 million people in the uk and european union have now had its vaccine and fewer than a0 cases of blood clots have been reported. it says the risks of having a clot are significantly lower than with those that have been vaccinated compared to the general population. we that have been vaccinated compared to the general population.— to the general population. we know blood clots are

astrazeneca and the uk regulator the mhra both say there is no evidence that having the vaccine increasesll speak to professor peter openshaw, an immunologist at imperial college london, but first, our correspondent louise cullen is following this story. the deputy chief medical officer in the republic made the announcement this morning in a statement following those reports of thrombolytic events, clots and bleeds and so on made actually across europe. there have been around 30 of these events reported from europe, but that's in the context of around 5 million europeans getting the oxford astrazeneca jab. but as of this morning, ireland hasjoined a list of countries which have either suspended the astrazeneca vaccine or have suspended the use of certain batches of it. that list includes norway, denmark, italy, estonia and several other european nations as well. astrazeneca has been given in the republic of ireland around 110,000 times — that is about a fifth of the vaccines that have been administered. it's been used in the uk more than 11 million times and the regulator here in the uk s

all the scientists, listen to what the european medicines agency had to say yesterday, to what the mhra the risk is covid. this is a great thing to do. thank you all very much. thank you. us presidentjoe biden and vice president kamala harris have met members of the asian—american community in georgia following tuesday's mass shooting, in which eight people were killed. hundreds of people are attending vigils for the victims. the attacks targetted asian—owned businesses, and six of the victims were women of asian ethnic origin. robert aaron long has been charged with eight counts of murder. our washington correspondent lebo diseko says the president's comments contrasted with the first official responses to the shooting. there was a lot of backlash at the local sheriff's department, the department where these attacks took place. as you said, the spokesman saying that the suspect "had had a bad day". later on, it transpired that a facebook account which was in his name had posted anti—asian or anti—chinese pictures, so that spokesperson is no longer making comments or no longer speaking

scientists are already working to update them, and now the regulator, the mhra, says when they are readyrough the approval system. the government has also announced more money to deal with obesity, £100 million to encourage people to get to and stay at a healthy weight. this comes as a report from the world obesity forum says 90% of covid deaths around the world have happened in countries with high obesity levels. the reverse is true too, countries like vietnam with low numbers of overweight people have not been as badly affected. vietnam has one of the lowest rates in the world, 0.04 per 100,000 people have died of covid and 18% of its population is overweight. in comparison, the uk has one of the worst death tolls with 182 people dying out of every 100,000. 64% of people here are overweight. we 100,000. 64% of people here are overweight-— 100,000. 64% of people here are overweight. we are still struggling to understand _ overweight. we are still struggling to understand exactly _ overweight. we are still struggling to understand exactly the - overweight. we are still struggling - to un

the mhra which is the regulation agency says people should go get the covid vaccine when asked to do you mentioned the netherlands, the latest country to pull back from vaccinations just for the short-term, as well. netherlands have ordered 12 million astrazeneca doses and 300,000 of those scheduled to be delivered in the next couple of weeks as well. real concerns that the individual country level, but in terms of the w.h.o. and ema, the body in the european union, saying go and get your shots frank. >> steve, what we are seeing in these countries affecting the broader rollout in europe? >> i think it is, actually you look at the numbers you were giving to the viewers at the wall it is really impressive how the biden administration has people vaccinated the british have been in some quarters saying the success of the rollout is because we are independent and no longer part of the eu. that might be a bit of a stretch for some people. the british have vaccinated about 36.5 people per 100. u.s. slightly behind at 30 in europe as well, this is staggering 10.5 people per 100 have been va

england's chief medical officer chris whitty and june raine from the medicines regulatory agency, the mhraory this lunchtime... the health secretary insists all adults in the uk will get their first covid jab by the end ofjuly, despite a delay in some deliveries. a collection of handwritten letters from diana, princess of wales are being sold at auction, to raise money for arts charities. and coming up in sport on bbc news... in what will be his first international start at outside centre since 2016, elliot daly will replace the injured henry slade in england's six nations match against ireland on saturday. the inquest into the death of sarah everard has been opened, and adjourned until the end of the trial of the man accused of her murder. our correspondent charlotte wright is at the coroner's court in maidstone. welcome it tookjust under half an hourfor the inquest to be opened and adjourned today. sarah's mother, father, brotherand and adjourned today. sarah's mother, father, brother and sister were all watching remotely via video link, and we heard from the acting detective in to from

but the uk's regulator the mhra insists available evidence did not suggest the vaccine was the cause.is a virus that isn't going to go away and i have no doubt that in the autumn, there will be a further wave of infections. so as restrictions continue to be lifted, like the reopening of schools in england this week, the scientific community will be watching the data closely for any causes for concern. anna collinson, bbc news. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10.30 and 11.30 this evening in the papers — our guestsjoining me tonight our guests joining shaun tonight are the former pensions minister, ros altmann, and the independent�*s business commentatorjames moore. now it's time for a look at the weather with susan powell. hello. after last week, when strong winds battered the uk and every day we were pretty much talking about low pressure, the change for the week ahead will be lighter winds, and us watching this area of high pressure as it tries to build in from the south—west. not entirely plain sailing, however. occasion

but the uk's regulator the mhra insists available evidence did not suggest the vaccine was the cause.f schools in england this week, the scientific community will be watching the data closely for any causes for concern. anna collinson, bbc news. and we'll be taking an in—depth look at the papers with our reviewers. that's coming up after the headlines at ii.30pm. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello. last week, the uk took quite a battering from strong winds. there was some heavy rain at times, too, and we spent a lot of time talking about low pressure. for the week ahead, the biggest difference will be lighter winds and we're going to be focusing on high pressure trying to build in. this high here pushing up from the southwest. it's not an entirely straightforward story, though. we will see some weak weather fronts running into the north of our high. that will mean some showery rain perhaps across the southeast of england first thing on monday, and then some more cloud generally pushing into the west as the day goes on. some rain across northern ireland, a little bit for we

as for the british health regulatory agency, the mhra, it says, given the large number of doses administered the frequency at which blood clots can occur naturally, the evidence available does not suggest that the vaccine is the cause of the health issues that have arisen. so everyone here supports the continued use of astrazeneca and on the other side of that argument there are, of course, a majority of european countries, member states of the european union that have now put on pause their vaccination rollout because they've seen, as you say, a handful of cases that they can't explain. and for which they do not have a good explanation, including deaths, including instances of very rare combinations of symptoms in people who had no known illnesses and who displayed those symptoms following the -- receiving a dose of the astrazeneca vaccine. so they want answers from the european health watchdog and we hope that will be forthcoming on thursday, rosemary. >> all right. thanks for that, cyril. we turn to fred now. fred, you are there in germany, one of the countries adding to this list of othe

is capability, which has been approved by the mr ha —— mhra is remarkable.e, it's that they make you say. you are much safer having had one. and shortly the mhra will be staying more on this matter, which they of course keep under constant review. madam deputy speaker, i know the house will also want to hear some good news from gibraltar. throughout the crisis, we have provided gibraltar with ppe, testing and a sovereign guarantee for their covert spending. we have also provided gibraltar vaccines, as we have with all other british overseas territories, and i'm delighted to be able to tell the house that yesterday gibraltar became the first nation in the world to complete its entire adult vaccination programme. i want to pay tribute to all gibraltarians for their fortitude tribute to all gibraltarians for theirfortitude during tribute to all gibraltarians for their fortitude during this crisis, and the kind words of first minister fabian picardo who said yesterday, the united kingdom has played a blinder on vaccinations, and we are among the beneficiaries in

this is a safe, effective vaccine as recommended by mhra, and let's remember, this virus kills peopleple my age, younger people and older people. the benefit is strongly in favour of people getting this vaccine at this time. the eu vaccine roll—out was already lagging well behind of that of the uk. france has said it will wait for a safety analysis from the european medicines agency due tomorrow before deciding whether to restart using the oxford—astrazeneca vaccine. translation: the decision which has been taken is to suspend, _ as a precaution, vaccinating with the astrazeneca vaccine in the hope that we can resume quickly if the opinion of the european medicines agency allows. astrazeneca says more than 17 million people in the uk and european union have now had its vaccine and fewer than a0 cases of blood clots have been reported. it says the risks of having a clot are significantly lower than with those that have been vaccinated compared to the general population. we know blood clots are remarkably common and we would expect them to happen in 1—2 people per 1,000 per year. that i

scientists are already working to update them, and now the regulator, the mhra, says when they are readyion to encourage people to get to and stay at a healthy weight. this comes as a report from the world obesity forum says that 90% of covid deaths around the world have happened in countries with high obesity levels. the reverse is true too — countries like vietnam, with low numbers of overweight people, have not been as badly affected. vietnam has one of the lowest rates in the world, 0.04 per 100,000 people have died of covid and 18% of its population is overweight. in comparison, the uk has one of the worst covid death tolls, with 182 people dying out of every 100,000. 64% of people here are overweight. we are still studying to understand exactly the mechanisms but it is something we have seen with h1n1 as well, people with obesity tend to die more from influenza as well, so it's not exactly news to us. the problem is we haven't really done anything about obesity until now. on monday, schoolchildren across england will head back to classrooms, the first step in lifting this lockdown.

the mhra and the ema say people can have confidence in the vaccine's benefits and should get immunisedand the vaccine. our expert committee on the safety of medicines and the risk assessment committee has now come to a conclusion on their review of cases of blood clots and people back with astrazeneca covid—19 vaccine. the committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion. this is a safe and effective vaccine. its benefits in protecting people from covid—19 with the associated risks of death and hospitalisation outweigh the possible risks. the committee also concluded that there vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events for blood clots. now, during the investigation and review we began to see a small number of cases of rare and unusual but very serious clotting disorders and this triggered a more focused review. based on the evidence available and after days of in—depth analysis of lab results, clinical reports, autopsy reports and further information for the clinical trials we still cannot rule out definitively a link between these cases

we have the mhra in this country. we have the largest experience of the astrazeneca vaccine.me, that it is safe? yes. stay the same, that it is safe? yes, i think stay the same, that it is safe? yes, i think the — stay the same, that it is safe? yes, | think the ema — stay the same, that it is safe? yes, i think the ema position _ stay the same, that it is safe? yes, i think the ema position is - stay the same, that it is safe? yes, i think the ema position is not likely— i think the ema position is not likely to — i think the ema position is not likely to change. these individual reports _ likely to change. these individual reports which are coming in from countries — reports which are coming in from countries such as germany are just that _ countries such as germany are just that they— countries such as germany are just that. they are individual instances of conditions that happen fairly commonly in the population at large. there _ commonly in the population at large. there is— commonly in the population at large. there is nothing emerging from them which _ there is nothing

but the uk's regulator, the mhra, insists available evidence didn't suggest the vaccine was the causetinue to pose a threat. we need also to recognise that this is a virus that isn't going to go away and i have no doubt that in the autumn, there will be a further wave of infections. so, as restrictions continue to be lifted, like the reopening of schools in england this week, the scientific community will be watching the data closely for any causes for concern. anna collinson, bbc news. music's biggest night of the year — the grammy awards — take place in los angeles tonight. but, because of the pandemic, it won't be the same star studded red carpet event we're used to. sophie long has been speaking to some first time british nominees # shining through the city with a little funk and soul # so i'ma light it up like dynamite, whoa—oh—oh # dynamite immediately became a record—breaking song on multiple platforms for k—pop band bts. it's earned a grammy nomination for them and for the london duo who wrote it. wow, we've got a grammy nomination. so, getting a grammy nom on a song that we w

this is a safe, effective vaccine, as recommended by mhra.. also tonight: more protestors gather outside westminster this evening after the outcry following the police's handling of saturday's vigilfor sarah everard. a plan for more, cheaper and greener buses in england to encourage us out of our cars.

when you ask, is the vaccine going to get approved, it is -- when it's in the hands of the mhra, whicht of the fda, it will be up to them, of course, but our job is to get them all the data they need from the trial. that will be by the end of this month and they'll be evaluated throughout some part of april. and in the u.s., it's probably a month after that >> so my question, if we're looking around the u.s., what do you see as the market here now that we have three approved vaccines, we hope by the second quarter we'll make a lot more progress on getting americans vaccinated where does yours come in, and what are some of the differences between yours and some of the others on the market >> great question. i'm not worried about lack of demand for the vaccine, even though we'll be the fourth vacci vaccine. there's plenty of need nfor the vaccine in the u.s. and it's a big world. we have advance purchase commitments right now for 200 million doses of the vaccine outside the u.s. with the expectation that there will be a lot more on top of that. and inside the u.s., we have a commitment t

work on the manufacturing side, the cmc side, and both of those we hope to go in for filing with the mhrat of the fda in the second quarter, and it is up to the agency to determine the timing of that. >> with the usb far behind that -- would the u.s. be far behind that? >> we had a trial in the u.s. going parallel, very well. we had 30,000 people in the u.s. where we recruited 30,000 people in six weeks, which was record-breaking. we are determining how well the vaccine works. with the u.k. and south african data in hand right now, we have a lot of confidence the u.s. trial is going to mirror those levels of data, so we have to put together the same package. it is several weeks behind the u.k. and we will put that package together. second quarter expected filing. alix: one thing that also stood out in your results was the lack of severe cases. it looked like 100% efficacy versus severe disease, even among variants. why? what is working so well and that? stan: we think it is a combination. all the vaccine makers are using the same antigen, the spike protein which stimulates an immune respo

it is safe, people should get the vaccine, and it's been very clear, both from the mhra — the uk regulator more, in terms of, for example, for blood clots, than the population at large. there is no extra risk in the evidence that we have seen, which is why they have authorised the vaccine and haven't taken any further action. also replicated at the european level. the eu's own regulator has said there is no reason, no reason, no grounds to suspend taking the vaccine or the roll—out, and that is itself backed up by the world health organization, so this vaccine is safe. we respect the processes and procedures that some other countries may need to go through, but the vaccine is safe and people should certainly continue to take it to protect themselves and protect their friends and family. the eu's ambassador to the uk, joao vale de almeida has said that the decision pause the vaccine is one for individual countries to make. governments are worried, concerned and focused on the health and safety of citizens. and when doubts appear for whatever reason, i think the principle of precaution preva

say that they are already making it at the site in teesside, already making the vaccine pending the mhras doing hugging? l _ enough to do it this year? who is doing hugging? iwill— enough to do it this year? who is doing hugging? i will take - enough to do it this year? who is doing hugging? i will take that i enough to do it this year? who is l doing hugging? i will take that on. the thing to _ doing hugging? i will take that on. the thing to understand _ doing hugging? i will take that on. the thing to understand with - the thing to understand with vaccines_ the thing to understand with vaccines is that they provide increasing levels of protection as we go _ increasing levels of protection as we go through. the first vaccine provides— we go through. the first vaccine provides a — we go through. the first vaccine provides a high degree of protection in the _ provides a high degree of protection in the second vaccine for the same person— in the second vaccine for the same person provides greater protection but there — person provides greater protection but there are still some vulnerabil

the mhra says new coronavirus vaccines to fight variants, like the one from brazil, can be fast—trackedd be necessary. let's talk about all of this now with michelle roberts, our health correspondent. michelle, good morning to you, on that study, we've talked to the director of the study many times over the last few months so broadly, absolutely the numbers going on the right direction but a slowdown in the rate of decline, it seems, more so in some areas than others. clearly, people tracking the virus are watching any of these changes, even subtle changes like this very closely. the changes, even subtle changes like this very closely.— changes, even subtle changes like this very closely. the key now is to kee- this very closely. the key now is to keep cases — this very closely. the key now is to keep cases down _ this very closely. the key now is to keep cases down as _ this very closely. the key now is to keep cases down as low— this very closely. the key now is to keep cases down as low as - this very closely. the key now is to i keep cases down as low as possible, that's always been