Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech have asked the European regulator to allow the emergency use of their coronavirus vaccine.
If a positive verdict is given as expected, supplies of the vaccine could be administered in Europe over the Christmas period.
If vaccine approved, supplies could be made available in Europe before end of 2020, says BioNTech
– People in supported living still not getting regular Covid tests, disability charity says
People in supported living are still not getting regular testing for coronavirus, according to the chief executive of the disability charity Dimensions UK.
Steve Scown told the Health and Social Care Committee: “We decided we’re going to buy our own tests to enable Christmas visits [for families] because that’s the only way we’re going to get them.”
He added that there had been a “consistent lag” through the pandemic between guidance for large registered care homes with elderly residents and guidance relating to supported living facilities.
Mr Scown said this lag had put many providers “in a very difficult position”.
– Pandemic’s effect on vulnerable children should be national concern, Ofsted says
The invisibility of vulnerable children as a result of the pandemic should be a matter of national concern, the Ofsted chief inspector is set to warn.
Amanda Spielman is expected to say on Tuesday that school closures during the first national lockdown had a “dramatic impact” on the number of child protection referrals made to local authorities.
The inspectorate’s annual report is set to highlight that, in normal times, around 20 per cent of referrals to local authorities come from schools and early years settings as staff spot signs of abuse or neglect.
Ms Spielman will say it is imperative that all agencies work together to prioritise the most urgent cases.
Her comments come after figures last month revealed that the number of babies in England that were seriously harmed between April and October rose by a fifth, compared to the same period last year.
64 of the babies suffered non-accidental injuries – and eight of them died as a result.
