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Scientists have warned that the coronavirus vaccine manufactured by Pfizer may be less effective in people who are obese. Researchers in Italy have said obese people may need bigger doses, or another top-up jab, to protect them against the virus. They claim this is because compared to healthy people severely overweight healthcare workers generated only half the antibodies to fend off Covid-19 after receiving two doses of the Pfizer jab. Antibodies are virus-fighting proteins that can stop the coronavirus infection. They are a major part of the immune system but there are other parts too. This is a double blow to severely overweight people as they are already considered to be more at risk of becoming critically ill or dying if they contract the virus. Scientists say this could be down to obese people being more likely to have health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure which makes them more vulnerable. Obesity is defined as having a BMI above 30. … [Read more...] about Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine may not work as well if you’re fat, researchers say

The first assessment of the Brazilian variant of COVID-19, newly identified in the UK, shows it may spread more easily - and evade the immune system. Scientists from Brazil and the UK estimate the variant, known as P1, is 1.4 to 2.2 times more transmissible than previous versions of coronavirus circulating in Manaus, the Amazon city where it originated. It is also able to evade between 25% and 61% of protective immunity from previous infection, according researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Sao Paulo. The study has not been peer reviewed. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Advertisement What we know about the Brazil variant Almost 70% of the Manaus population had immunity from the first wave of COVID infections last spring, yet a surge of re-infections at the start of this year led to hospitals in the city being overwhelmed. Six UK cases of the P1 variant have been identified in … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Brazilian P1 variant may spread more easily and could evade immune system, scientists find

The immune response to COVID-19 vaccines in patients with certain immunosuppressed conditions is set to be examined in a new study. Patients with cancer, inflammatory arthritis, kidney or liver diseases or those having a stem cell transplant may have a higher chance of having the more severe complications of coronavirus. Such underlying medical conditions and the treatment some patients receive as part of their care may weaken the immune system - which is why they have been prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, researchers claim current evidence suggests that people with these medical conditions may not obtain optimal protection from established vaccines. So the new Octave trial seeks to determine the effectiveness of coronavirus vaccines in these clinically at-risk patient groups. Advertisement Funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), the trial is a collaborative research project involving groups in the Universities of … [Read more...] about COVID-19: New study to examine vaccine responses in patients with impaired immune systems

Maro Itoje has urged England to get off the canvas and outbox Wales to keep their Six Nations hopes alive. “Rugby is a game similar to boxing in the sense that you can’t fake rugby, you can't play at rugby,” said the England star. “It isn’t a game where you can win just on pure talent. You can't just go out there and go through the motions, because if you do that you will get beat. “You need to have that mentality, you need to have that fighting spirit, you need to have that dogged approach to what you do." England put their hopes on the line in Cardiff today and Itoje psyched himself up for the heavyweight showdown by watching Chris Eubank's Life Stories with Piers Morgan. He came away struck by how Eubank, a brilliant if not universally loved boxer, used adversity to his advantage. “I think as an England team specifically, one could argue that’s pretty similar to how a lot of other nations see us,” said Itoje. “If you are in that position it's about relishing it, it's … [Read more...] about Maro Itoje revved up to KO Wales’ Six Nations bid by Chris Eubank boxing show

European countries are revising their refusal to give older people the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine following the release of fresh data. The French government has made a partial U-turn, with people aged between 65 and 74 with pre-existing health conditions now able to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. The vaccine, developed with Oxford University, has suffered rollout setbacks and doses are languishing after nearly half of the EU 's members limited its use to under 65s. Follow live COVID-19 updates from the UK and around the world Single AstraZeneca or Pfizer dose 80% effective at preventing hospitalisations in over 80s It was approved for all adults by the EU's drugs regulator but it is up to each member to set out its own policy, with many saying the initial trial did not have enough data on the effectiveness on over 65s. Advertisement France's partial U-turn came hours after fresh data published by Public Health … [Read more...] about COVID-19: What EU leaders said about AstraZeneca vaccine – and the data forcing a rethink