Covid: Work from home to curb winter spike - expert - BBC News
Working from home could curb the spread of Covid during winter, says Sage member Andrew Hayward.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been deemed safe and effective to use as a booster - but it is only being recommended for people who are allergic to the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna).

I understand that concern about a rare blood clotting side effect is the reason why the AZ vaccine is not being used.

The vaccine is already limited in the UK to those over 40. And for those who have only had the AZ jab so far - several trials have shown that the Pfizer vaccine produces a very strong antibody response, and that mixing vaccine types can enhance immunity.

Nearly 50 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine have been given by the NHS, more than any other vaccine, and it has already prevented tens of thousands of deaths in the UK.

Because of the restrictions around its use for younger adults, it has been given to a higher proportion of older adults than Pfizer - and therefore will have likely saved more lives.

But its future use in the UK now looks very uncertain.

The AZ vaccine has been produced on a not-for-profit basis, at around three pounds per dose, a fifth of the cost of the Pfizer vaccine. It is also easier to store and transport, making it a vital global tool in the pandemic.

The vaccine has been licensed in more than 160 countries, although it has not been approved in the United States, despite a successful trial there.

All the vaccines used in the UK give significant defences against severe Covid. But it remains unclear which will have the most lasting protection.

The messenger RNA vaccines score best in the initial weeks after immunisation, but their immunity wanes more quickly than the AstraZeneca vaccine, which uses a disabled virus. So it would be wrong to completely write off the Oxford-AZ jab as a booster.

If the vaccine is shown to give more durable immunity, it may yet have a continuing role here.

What is certain is how important the vaccine is globally. More than 1.2 billion doses have been distributed worldwide - and that figure should hit 2 billion by the end of the year.