Published4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Alex KleidermanBBC NewsMessages encouraging UK smokers to quit could be placed inside packets of cigarettes under draft proposals being considered by the government.The inserts would list the health and financial benefits of trying to stop and highlight support available, the Department of Health said.They are already used in other countries including Canada and Israel, According to the NHS, about 76,000 people in the UK die from smoking every year.The numbers of smokers in the UK are at their lowest on record but about six million people, or 13% of the population, are still thought to have the habit, according to a survey carried out for the Office for National Statistics in 2021.The government has pledged to end smoking in England by 2030, equating to reducing smoking rates to 5% or less of the population. Earlier this year experts predicted that target would be missed without further action.Warnings have been printed on the outside of boxes for more than 50 years.The Department of Health said inserts inside cigarette packets could include information about the money that could be saved by giving up smoking as well as the potential improvements to health.It said an evaluation of the impact in Canada found that smokers exposed to the inserts were significantly more likely to try to give up.Free vapes to be handed out in anti-smoking driveWorld-first warnings for each cigarette in CanadaPledge to end smoking in England by 2030Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health said: “It takes smokers on average 30 attempts before they succeed in stopping, so encouraging them to keep on trying is vital. “Pack inserts do this by backing up the grim messages about death and disease on the outside with the best advice about how to quit on the inside.” Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Smoking places a huge burden on the NHS, economy and individuals. “By taking action to reduce smoking rates and pursuing our ambition to be smoke free by 2030, we will reduce the pressure on the NHS and help people to live healthier lives.”The consultation runs until October and is seeking views on the government’s proposals.It comes as the Department of Health publishes an initial report on its Major Conditions Strategy, which aims to improve treatment and prevention for six groups of conditions said to account for 60% of all ill-health and early death in England.The conditions include cancer, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases – all of which have been linked to smoking. Dementia, mental health and musculoskeletal disorders are also being targeted.Sign up for our morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox.More on this storyFree vapes to be handed out in anti-smoking drivePublished11 AprilPromoting vapes to kids is ridiculous, says PMPublished25 MayWorld-first warnings for each cigarette in CanadaPublished1 AugustPledge to end smoking in England by 2030Published23 July 2019

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Covid booster jabs should be offered to all over-18s to help stop a potential wave driven by the new variant Omicron, UK government advisers say.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation also said the minimum gap between the second dose and booster should be reduced to three months. They also recommended children aged 12 to 15 should be invited for a second dose three months after their first.Eleven cases of the Omicron variant have now been detected in the UK. England’s deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam told a Downing Street briefing that Omicron was the “new kid on the block” and it has “always been the case that, at some point, we are going to get a variant that gives us heightened concern”.LIVE UPDATES: Booster jabs acceleratedWhen can I get my booster and how do I book it?How worrying is the new Covid variant?Covid variants: Do we need new vaccines yet?Prof Wei Shen Lim, chair of the JCVI, said he was not predicting the new variant would take hold in the UK but the experts wanted to be in the best possible position if there was an increase in infection.He said: “With any vaccine during a pandemic, we get the greatest benefit for individuals and society if the vaccine is deployed before the wave starts. We want to provide boosters early enough… before any possible wave.”In its advice, the JCVI also recommended severely immunosuppressed people should be offered a fourth dose of the vaccine as a booster. They are currently receiving three jabs.The experts added that the booster rollout should take account of vulnerability. Boosters should be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given those in a Covid at-risk group, they said. The JCVI’s advice has been given to ministers in all parts of the UK. It only gives recommendations and the final decision on measures to combat Covid lies with the politicians. It also said it would continue to review data on the potential benefits and risks of offering the Covid vaccine to children aged 5 to 11.Early evidence suggests the new Omicron variant – initially reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on Wednesday – has a higher re-infection risk.The UK Health Security Agency said the latest two cases to be detected in the UK have links to travel in southern Africa. They were found in the Camden and Wandsworth areas of London. The aim of this announcement is to get ahead of a potential wave driven by the new variant Omicron.If that happens – and it is an “if” at this stage because so much is unknown about the new variant – giving more people a booster jab will certainly help.While Omicron may make the vaccines less effective, the booster dose has been shown to significantly increase the immune response, which will help counter any advantages this variant may have.But that will only happen if the vaccine is in people’s arms. The NHS is doing around 2.5 million boosters a week on average at the moment. At that rate it will take three months to vaccinate all those eligible.Increasing that will not be easy. Around 50 mass vaccination centres have closed since the spring. Many GPs have also stepped back to concentrate on flu jabs and their day-to-day work.It means the solution is likely to lie in extending the opening hours of current vaccination clinics late into the evenings and bringing in extra staff and volunteers to help.The government has unveiled new rules on face masks and isolation for England to contain the spread of the new variant that are due to come in to force at 04:00 GMT on Tuesday.Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs they would be given a chance to debate and vote on those measures.He said: “If it emerges that this variant is no more dangerous than the Delta variant, then we won’t keep measures in place for a day longer than necessary. “Our experience of fighting this virus has shown us it’s best to act decisively and swiftly when we see a potential threat. Which is why we’re building our defences and putting these measures in place without delay.”Mr Javid told MPs he had accepted the JCVI’s advice “in full”. Scotland has also announced it would follow the recommendations, while Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to accept them.The average number of daily confirmed Covid cases in the UK began rising again in early November. A further 42,583 confirmed cases were announced on Monday.THE SLEEPING FORECAST: Get cosy with our winter playlistWHAT IS RACHEL RILEY’S EMBARRASSING HABIT?: Joe Lycett finds out in ‘It’s Not What You Know’

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesHealth Secretary Sajid Javid is due to set out further details of new Covid measures after two UK cases of the new Omicron variant were detected.The PM has said face coverings would be mandatory again in shops and on public transport in England from next week.PCR tests for everyone entering the UK will be introduced and all contacts of new variant cases will have to self-isolate, even if fully jabbed. But Boris Johnson said Christmas would be “considerably better” than in 2020.The measures, which include reinstating the travel red list with mandatory hotel quarantine for 10 countries, were “temporary and precautionary”, Mr Johnson said.The health secretary is expected to provide more details of the new measures later.At a Downing Street news conference on Saturday, the prime minister said Mr Javid would outline the tightening up of the mask rules. He did not indicate when the PCR testing requirements would begin, with the Department for Health saying only that it was among measures to be “introduced from next week”.The new restrictions come after it was confirmed that two Omicron cases had been detected in Brentwood, Essex, and Nottingham. Officials said the cases were linked and connected to travel in southern Africa.In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, face coverings are already mandatory on public transport and many indoor areas.How are England’s Covid rules changing because of Omicron?How are masks rules being tightened?The UK’s red list is back… which countries are on it?The new variant was first reported from South Africa on Wednesday, with early evidence suggesting it has a higher reinfection risk.Mr Johnson said: “Our scientists are learning more hour by hour, and it does appear that Omicron spreads very rapidly and can be spread between people who are double vaccinated.”This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.He added: “We need to slow down the spread of this variant here in the UK, because measures at the border can only ever minimise and delay the arrival of a new variant rather than stop it all together.”The prime minister said the new measures would be reviewed in three weeks, by which time they should have better information about the “continuing effectiveness” of vaccines.Labour has called for improved sick pay to encourage self-isolation and for full implementation of Plan B for winter – the government’s contingency plan, which includes mandatory Covid passports and encouraging people to work from home as well as compulsory face coverings.All the measures can do is buy timeThe government’s response is to test everyone coming in to the UK, isolate all Omicron contacts, ramp up boosting and bring back compulsory face masks in some public places.Let’s be clear – that will not stop more Omicron cases arriving or circulating. It’s already arrived. If a virus is good at spreading then eventually it will slip through.And it has the potential to spread here too. Cases of Covid have been climbing except for a lull over the October half term.They are averaging at more than 40,000 a day and the R number is just above the crucial threshold of one. If Omicron can combine faster transmission with some ability to evade immunity then it too could spread.All the measures can do is buy time, but for what? Science and boosters.Read more from JamesCovid restrictions were tightened across the UK days before Christmas last year amid a surge in cases.Asked by the BBC’s Iain Watson if the prime minister could say with any confidence whether or not people could keep their Christmas plans this year, Mr Johnson replied: “We continue to be in a strong position largely thanks to the speed of the vaccine rollout, another booster rollout, and… I’m pretty confident to absolutely confident this Christmas will be considerably better than last Christmas.” Countries around the world are introducing travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain the variant’s spread.Under the plans: Everyone entering the UK (other than those coming from the Common Travel Area that covers the Channel Islands and Ireland) will have to take PCR test by the end of the second day after their arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative resultAll contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of whether or not they are fully jabbedFace coverings will be made compulsory in shops and on public transport – but hospitality settings will be exempt from the changesThe health secretary is to ask advisers to consider rapidly extending boosters, including reducing the gap between the second dose of the vaccine and the boosterThe UK’s chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, said there was a “reasonable chance” that vaccines could be less effective against the new variant but stressed people who are vaccinated or receive the booster jab will be less likely to become seriously ill.He said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation would now need to decide whether to extend the booster vaccine down to adults age 18, and whether a second dose should be offered to children aged 12-15.Do we need new vaccines yet?How worrying is the new Covid variant?Paddy Lillis from the shopworkers’ union Usdaw accused ministers of “flip-flopping on basic and sensible Covid measures” and said the face covering rules should have been kept in place when restrictions were relaxed in July.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.”Retail staff working with the public every day are deeply worried about catching Covid-19 and the arrival of the Omicron variant is a further concern,” he said.Carol Popplestone, chairwoman of the Royal College of Nursing, said face coverings were “something we have already called for and it should not have been a new variant that forced the prime minister to act”.This is a moment the government had wanted to avoid. We’ve got used to restrictions in England being lifted. But for the first time in months, they’re now being re-imposed in response to the new variant. And these restrictions could have a significant impact.For example, anyone who goes on holiday will now need to pay for a PCR test and self-isolate until they get a negative result. If Omicron spreads quickly, there could be a lot of people forced to self-isolate for 10 days as close contacts.But the government hasn’t gone for its full plan B. Masks won’t be mandatory in hospitality settings in England like they are in Scotland. People aren’t being told to work from home – and there still aren’t plans for vaccine passports. But it’s a sign of the uncertainty and concern in Whitehall that Boris Johnson felt he had to announce these measures. Both the UK cases of the Omicron variant and their households are self-isolating. Additional testing is being carried out at locations where those people were likely to have been infectious.”Confirmed cases and contacts are being followed up and requested to isolate and get tested as necessary,” the Department of Health said.Ten countries – South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia – are now on the UK’s travel red list meaning, from Sunday at 04:00 GMT, all arrivals will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.Other countries are also introducing travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain the variant’s spread.The average number of daily confirmed Covid cases in the UK began rising again in early November. A further 39,567 confirmed cases were announced on Saturday.IS THERE AN IDEAL POST-COVID DIET? How what you eat can help your recoveryCANADA’S MISSING CHILDREN: Who should be held accountable?Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? 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SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage sourceGetty ImagesUK experts are set to recommend all 16 and 17-year-olds should be offered a Covid vaccine, the BBC has been told.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation stopped short of making the move last month, saying it was still assessing the benefits and risks.About 1.4 million teenagers will be included in the new rollout but it is not known when the jabs will start.They are only offered now to those over-12s who have underlying conditions or live with others at high risk. But some countries, including the US, Canada and France, are routinely vaccinating people aged 12 years old and over.Across England, 223,755 under-18s have received a first vaccine dose, according to NHS data to 25 July.It was previously announced that under-18s would be eligible if they had certain health conditions, lived with someone with a low immune system, or were approaching their 18th birthday.Whitehall sources say ministers in England are expected to accept the advice of the JCVI, following an announcement on Wednesday.It comes after Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday she was “hoping” to receive updated advice from the JCVI on the vaccination of 16 and 17-year-olds.Ms Sturgeon said the UK’s four chief medical officers had written to the JCVI, asking them to look again at vaccination advice for young people.Which children are being vaccinated and why?Should all children get a vaccine?Decisions on vaccinations are based on recommendations from the independent JCVI. Ministers in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each then approve the plans. The only Covid jab currently authorised in the UK for under-18s is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Last month, the JCVI extended its recommendation on Covid jabs to children aged over 12 who are at higher risk of getting ill and to those on the verge of turning 18.However, it said it would not extend the rollout as it examined reports of rare adverse events such as inflammation of heart muscles among young adults. Speaking ahead of the July decision, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the JCVI was confident vaccines would protect children to a high degree. He added that more research was taking place as children did not tend to suffer severely from Covid, and the experts wanted to ensure the benefits of the jab outweighed any potential risks.Prof Paul Elliott, chair of epidemiology and public health at Imperial College London, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme vaccinating younger age groups could help drive down infections.With the highest rates of infection seen in young people under 24, he said “anything we can do to reduce transmission in that group would be helpful”.Infections and hospital cases down – is Covid over?Long-lasting Covid symptoms rare in childrenShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said ministers should “ensure plans are in place to roll out this vital next stage of vaccination while ensuring parents have all the facts and information they need”.A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said it kept the vaccination of children and young people “under review and will be guided by the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation”.All over-18s have now been offered a vaccination against coronavirus. The latest government data shows 88.7% of people in the UK have now had one dose of vaccine, while 73% have had two jabs.And a further 21,691 cases of people testing positive for coronavirus were recorded in the UK on Tuesday. It was the fifth day in a row that infections have fallen, and the lowest daily total since late June.SHOULD YOU GET BACK WITH YOUR EX?: Can a relationship with an ex ever really work?THE BEST OF BROADWAY: Listen to musical classics with the BBC Proms

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage copyrightGetty ImagesMore than 60 million coronavirus vaccine doses have been given in the UK, the health secretary has announced.There were 762,361 first or second jabs on Saturday, the second highest daily total of the rollout, and more than 22 million people have now had both doses.It comes as a study found the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are highly effective after two doses against the variant identified in India.The UK Health Security Agency’s head urged people to get their second dose.Dr Jenny Harries said the study was the “first real-world evidence of vaccine effectiveness” against the variant and the “straightforward message” was for people to make sure they took up the offer of the second jab.But speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, she urged the public to remain cautious to avoid another lockdown, warning of the threat from the Indian variant which has become the “dominant strain” in some parts of the country.The latest government data shows 556,951 UK adults received a second jab on Saturday, meaning that 43% of the adult population – 22,643,417 people – have now been fully vaccinated.Of them 205,410 were first doses, bringing the number of people to have had one dose to 37,943,681 people, or 72% of UK adults.Only on 20 March, when 844,285 doses were administered, have more jabs been given on a single day. But Saturday’s second dose figure surpassed the previous highest daily total of 547,636 set on 24 April.Another 2,235 new cases and five deaths within 28 days of a positive test have also been announced.Where is the Indian variant and how is it spreading?My vaccine side effects and what they meanWho can book their Covid vaccine now?Public Health England, which ran the study into the two vaccines said they are likely to be even more effective at preventing hospital admission and deaths.Some 13,000 deaths and 39,100 hospitalisations have been prevented in the UK due to the vaccination programme up to 9 May, according to PHE analysis.Responding to the latest vaccination figures, the health secretary tweeted: “This is a fantastic milestone in our fight against this virus. “Thank you to everyone involved in our national effort. When you get the call, get the jab.”Earlier Matt Hancock also said the PHE study’s findings showed that getting both doses of the vaccine was “absolutely vital”.He added the research made him “increasingly confident” that the government was on track for the final stage of easing restrictions in England on 21 June.However, Home Secretary Priti Patel said there would not be a “green light all the way”, telling the Andrew Marr Show that people have to remain “conscientious…. following all the rules.”That is part of our normal life now and that will continue, and that, of course, will help us to that unlocking on 21 June.”LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?LOCKDOWN RULES: What are they and when will they end?GLOBAL SPREAD: How many worldwide cases are there?THE R NUMBER: What it means and why it mattersAppointments for second doses for people in England have been brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks for those in the top nine priority groups.It follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which recommended reducing the interval to counter the threat of new variants.The variant first discovered in India – also known as B.1.617.2 – is responsible for the majority of new cases in parts of England.The PHE study found two jabs of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine give a similar level of protection against symptomatic disease from the Indian variant as they do for the Kent one.However, both vaccines were only 33% effective against the Indian variant three weeks after the first dose. This compared with 50% effectiveness against the Kent variant.The Moderna vaccine has also been used in the UK since April but the study said the numbers who had received it were too small for them to include it in their research.UNIQUE STAYCATIONS: Forgotten spaces are turned into one of a kind rural retreatsWHEN DID HISTORICAL EVENTS HAPPEN?: Take our mind-boggling time quiz to find out!

SharecloseShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingimage copyrightGetty ImagesThe government’s review of social distancing rules in England might have to be delayed because of the spread of the Indian Covid variant.Boris Johnson had hoped to give an update by the end of May ahead of the planned lifting of all remaining restrictions on 21 June.But No 10 said the government now “cannot be definitive at this point”.It comes as millions of people can now enjoy new freedoms as lockdown is eased in England, Wales and most of Scotland.People have been visiting pubs and restaurants indoors for the first time in months, hugging loved ones again and going on holiday as the ban on foreign travel is lifted.It is hoped all remaining legal limits on social contact can be removed on 21 June, meaning unlimited numbers of guests at events such as weddings, and nightclubs allowed to reopen.Ahead of this, a review of the measures – as well as the possible use of coronavirus status certification or passports – had been expected by the end of May.The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The Indian variant could pose a threat to this process – our decision will be based on latest data. We will set out plans as soon as the data allows.”Live updates: Lockdown easing not luring people to High StreetsIn pictures: Lockdown eases in parts of the UKWhy is the India variant causing concern in the UK?What are Monday’s big changes to lockdown?The government has set four tests which must be met before lockdown can ease further, which include vaccines continuing to be effective and the risks not being fundamentally changed by new variants.The rule changes on Monday – which are different in England, Wales and Scotland – have seen thousands of people heading off on foreign holidays, flocking to bingo halls and drinking inside pubs again.Hospital ward manager Viv Hudson, 58, wept with joy as she finally hugged her daughter Theresa Fox for the first time in more than a year.”It’s a bit weird – but a good kind of weird. I’ve missed this so much,” said Theresa, 38, who also works for the NHS.image copyrightPA MediaHowever, the variant first identified in India continues to spread in the UK, with mass testing rolled out to hotspots including Bolton in Greater Manchester, Sefton, in Merseyside and parts of London. Speaking ahead of the relaxation, Mr Johnson said the government was keeping the variant under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates were rising.Asked whether ministers would consider a return to a tiered system of rules, the prime minister’s spokesman said: “I don’t want to get ahead of where we are at the moment and start getting into hypothetical situations.”But he said there was a “very targeted increase in surge vaccinations and testing in these areas where we’re seeing rises and that’s what we want to proceed with if at all possible – but we don’t want to rule anything out”.Scientists believe the Indian variant does spread more easily, but early data suggests vaccines still work. The exact impact on vaccine efficacy – if any – is yet to be confirmed.image copyrightPA MediaDowning Street said its concern was about a worst-case scenario where people who had had the jab were still vulnerable.”That would then lead to increased hospitalisations and put unsustainable pressure on our NHS. That’s the situation we are attempting to avoid here.” Meanwhile, Downing Street has urged health officials not to extend the vaccine rollout to younger people yet.Bolton Council and the London mayor are among those to have urged officials to allow people in areas where there are higher rates of the Indian variant to have the jab regardless of their age.But No 10 said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation had advised that the best way to protect against the new variant was to stick to its priority list.Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to make a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on Covid at 16:30 BST.How are the rules changing on Monday?England:People can now meet indoors in groups of up to six or two households, or in groups of up to 30 outdoors. Overnight stays are allowedPubs, bars and restaurants can serve customers indoorsMuseums, cinemas, children’s play areas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadiums can all reopen, as can hotelsSocial distancing guidance is changing and contact with other households like hugs is a matter of personal choiceScotland (except Glasgow and Moray): People can meet indoors in groups of six from up to three households. Outdoors, up to eight people from eight households can mixPubs and restaurants can serve alcohol indoors until 22:30Entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and bingo halls can reopen and up to 100 people are allowed at indoor eventsWales: Pubs and restaurants can reopen indoors and customers can meet in groups of up to six from six householdsAll holiday accommodation can reopenCinemas, bowling alleys, museums, galleries and theatres can reopenNo change to indoor socialising – this is still restricted to extended households where two households can mix with each other and have physical contactAnd in all three nations, foreign holidays are allowed.Northern Ireland will review lockdown rules on 20 May, with the hope that some could be lifted on 24 May.Read more about the changes here.Earlier, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he was “very confident” the government would be able to lift England’s remaining restrictions on 21 June but could not guarantee it.He said: “There is flexibility here because we have another five weeks till the reopening and we will be revisiting the data.”Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government’s independent scientific advisory group Sage, said Monday’s lifting of the rules was a “very finely balanced” decision.He said the variant was “becoming dominant in parts of the UK, and yet vaccination across the country has been extraordinary successful”, adding: “A very careful lifting is reasonable, but we may have to reverse that if there is escape from the vaccines.”Latest figures show another 1,976 cases have been recorded across the UK and a further five people have died.The number of people who have received their first vaccine dose has topped 36.7 million, while more than 20.2 million second doses have been given.AnalysisBy Greg Dawson, BBC News political correspondentJust a week ago Boris Johnson stood at the podium in Downing Street and talked of his hopes that the government would be able to update businesses by the end of May on the future social distancing rules. That commitment is already looking shaky.It is an indication of just how seriously the government views the emergence of the Indian variant that Downing Street today admitted that deadline could slip.An expected update for when weddings will be able to resume as normal also looks to be on hold; the prime minister’s original intention was to give people 28 days notice ahead of the planned 21 June re-opening. The government has been adamant for months that it wants this lockdown to be the last.However, it has repeatedly said it wants to be guided by “data and not dates”, and at the moment there simply isn’t enough data on how serious the Indian variant could be, and how quickly it is spreading within the UK for the government to confidently stand by previously stated deadlines. LOOK-UP TOOL: How many cases in your area?YOUR QUESTIONS: We answer your queriesVACCINE: When will I get the jab?NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?MOTHERLAND: Comedy navigating the trials and traumas of parentingRACISM IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY: Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne confronts her own experiences