Middle ages for middle school

It’s one of the front-runners in the fight against coronavirus , and now Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine is starting to be tested in teenagers. The pharmaceutical giant has announced that the first adolescent participants have been dosed in the Phase 2/3 study of its Covid-19 vaccine, called mRNA-1273. Teens aged 12-17 will receive the vaccine as part of the trial. Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said: “We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy adolescents in the U.S. “Our goal is to generate data in the spring of 2021 that will support the use of mRNA-1273 in adolescents in advance of the 2021 school year. “We are encouraged by the interim and primary analyses of the Phase 3 COVE study in adults ages 18 and above and this adolescent study will help us assess the potential safety and immunogenicity of our COVID-19 vaccine candidate in this important younger age population. “We hope we will be able to provide a safe vaccine to provide protection … [Read more...] about Covid vaccine: Moderna has started testing its jab in kids aged between 12 and 17

Covid deaths in England are falling faster than gloomy SAGE advisers thought they would, official data show — and scientists claim lockdown rules could be loosened faster. Models produced by the SPI-M group of scientists predicting the future of the Covid outbreak in February suggested the daily death count would stay above 200 until mid-March. But the average number of victims recorded each day had dropped below this level before the end of February, statistics show. Experts told The Telegraph the progress is 'better than expected' and suggested the Government's 'data not dates' approach could see relaxations brought forward. The vaccine rollout has made immense progress, with 20million people now vaccinated across the UK, and studies suggest the jabs are working better than expected, preventing between 85 and 94 per cent of hospitalisations. SPI-M's prediction was more pessimistic about how well the vaccine would work and whether it would stop transmission, which may … [Read more...] about Lockdown ‘could ease earlier’ in England because Covid deaths are falling FASTER than SAGE predicted thanks to vaccine success

Millions of people will see their wages rise on April 1, when new minimum wage rates come into force in England. Basic rate workers will get a 2.2% increase, Rishi Sunak said, with the National Living Wage rising to £8.91 an hour. For the first time, the government's highest rate will also include those aged 23 and over - workers who previously fell under the lower wage bracket. This means 23 and 24-year-olds who are currently on £8.20 an hour will see their pay jump by 71p to £8.91 next month. However, the increase is a U-turn on the 49p an hour promised last March. It equates to a pay rise of just 19p an hour for basic-rate workers - the majority of whom have already taken a 20% hit over the past year due to mandatory furlough. It comes as the current Universal Credit total sits at 6million. Unions accused the Chancellor of "letting down" thousands of vulnerable people who are trapped in financial hardship. "Workers on the national minimum wage - not least the two … [Read more...] about Budget 2021: Minimum wage to rise for workers in April – see how your pay is changing

MARTIN Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert is urging parents not to miss out on thousands of pounds of tax-free childcare. As part of the tax-free childcare scheme, you can get up to £500 every three months - up to £2,000 a year - for each of your children. For disabled children, the maximum amount you could get rises to £4,000. The scheme essentially works like a savings account where for every £8 you save towards childcare costs, the government tops up an extra £2. So if you put away £8,000 a year for one child, the government will give you £2,000 totally free. But MoneySavingExpert estimates fewer than one in five of the 1.3 million families eligible for tax-free childcare aren’t taking advantage of the scheme. What help is available for parents for childcard costs? CHILDCARE can be a costly business but here is how you can get help: 30 hours free childcare  - Parents of three and four-year-olds can apply for 30 hours free childcare a week. To qualify you must … [Read more...] about Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert reminds parents not to miss out on thousands of pounds of tax-free childcare

Tory Rishi Sunak today announced changes to tax, furlough and Stamp Duty in his 2021 Budget . The Chancellor said he must take "unpopular" and "honest" decisions as he reversed some Tory Corporation Tax cuts and cancelled an Income Tax break for millions of Brits. He warned next year borrowing will hit £234bn or 10.3% of GDP - “an amount so large it has only one rival in recent history, this year”. And Covid spending including fiscal support has hit £407bn. But in reality the Chancellor put off many of the most painful decisions until later and gave businesses a huge tax break for now - one he claimed was the biggest in history. He also extended several breaks and Covid support schemes beyond the end of the roadmap. Mr Sunak said more than 700,000 people have lost their jobs since March and the economy has fallen by more than 10% - the fastest fall in more than 300 years. “It’s going to take this country and the whole world a long time to recover from this extraordinary … [Read more...] about Budget 2021 summary: Key announcements at a glance as Covid spending hits £407bn