I have to say I don’t understand why we can’t all have a booster, I would even pay like you have to do with the flu vaccine if you want it.
> The UK Government must be prepared to bring back compulsory masks on public transport in order to stop a significant winter wave of Covid-19, Tony Blair has warned.
>
> The former Prime Minister’s think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, called for a booster vaccine to be offered to every British adult over the autumn as part of its plan to avoid a meltdown of the NHS.
>
> Millions of people are on waiting lists while A&E waiting times are near an all-time high, according to the institute. In a new paper, a panel of doctors and other experts warns: “This winter will bring a perfect storm, resulting in unprecedented demand and reduced capacity, which will combine to create the worst winter crisis in the NHS’s history.”
>
> If demand for health services grows in the coming months thanks to a surge in flu and Covid cases, “the NHS will no longer be there at the point of need – and lives will be lost unnecessarily”, the think-tank says in a report ensdorsed by Mr Bair.
>
> Mr Blair – who is backing the findings of his Institute – developed a reputation during the pandemic for calling for policy changes which were later followed by the government – such as extending the gap between the two first Covid jabs so more people could have a first dose quickly.
>
> Australia has been experiencing a major wave of flu during its winter – which has historically served as a guide to how bad the flu season will be in the Northern Hemisphere winter.
>
> The institute says minimising demand on the NHS will be key to ensuring it can continue to operate safely, and this should include reducing the number of people who end up in hospital with Covid-19, for example by offering an autumn booster to all over-18s rather than just those aged 50 or more, as is currently planned.
>
> To protect health workers and ensure the NHS is not hampered by mass absences caused by sickness, the institute suggests “widespread and early” Covid and flu jabs for all health service workers, and a higher grade of mask to be worn by everyone working on a ward.
>
> In a more controversial proposal, the paper says that “the strategic implementation of mask mandates should be considered for this autumn and winter”, with members of the public legally required to wear a face covering on public transport and other enclosed public spaces in the event that there is a wave of Covid hospitalisations or a dangerous new variant.
>
> The Tony Blair Institute also suggests a string of measures to improve the “flow” of patients. These include greater access to GPs and other forms of primary care so hospitals are not overwhelmed; technology such as “virtual wards” which allow patients to be treated in their own home; more funding to expand the social care sector; additional surge capacity, possibly including a return to Nightingale hospitals.
>
> The health service should call on volunteers in the same way as it did at the height of the pandemic, and commission new partnerships with the private sector to reduce the backlog of procedures, the think tank adds.
>
> The authors conclude: “The Government must do whatever it takes to support the NHS through this period and act immediately to avert an unmitigated disaster.
>
> “Failure to do so will result in the breakdown of the NHS as we know it, with a collapse in vital services and a rise in adverse outcomes for patients.”
>
> Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock rejected the claim that it was necessary to extend the boosters to under-50s. He told i: “In a pandemic, you need to vaccinate all to stop the spread – there’s a social benefit to vaccinating all as it prevents lockdown. In an endemic not pandemic scenario – like now – I think it’s reasonable to return to the pre-pandemic norm.”
>
> And the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said: “Covid-19 boosters this autumn will be vital in reducing the risk of serious illness which would pile on the pressure on the NHS at a time when services are expected to come under severe strain.
>
> “Recent drops in Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions are encouraging but with the potential for future waves this winter, trust leaders remain vigilant about the need to protect vulnerable patients. It is right then that the booster programme is offered to those at higher risk of severe illness first given the risks posed by Covid-19”.
>
> A health source suggested there were no active discussions about giving the new vaccine to all adults this autumn, but added it was “possible we would expand that far if a seriously bad wave hit”.
Tony got shares in big pharma then?
Why does anyone listen to him anyways?!
Tony the guy without any medical education
Thank you Dr Bliar.
(But in seriousness – these are pretty reasonable actions causing very low inconvenience. Let the whinging commence)
Good luck with that one..
No thank you.
Covid is ready to strike the uk with just 45 min notice or some shit.
Pandemic is over as far as i am concerned, they end socially before medically
I dont hare how minuscule masks are or how boosters are great, i want to be left alone and live my life with as little government interference in this regard
We did this. It was largely ineffective.
Tony Blair should just fuck off he should be embarrassed to speak after the lies he told when leader of the labour party
Even if you don’t trust Blair, it is worth remembering that the only reason we had ‘freedom day’ when we did, was not because the CMO recommended it was time, not because the medical evidence was there that it was the right time, but to as part of ‘Operation Save Big Dog’ to throw red meat to the Tory back benches that slightly delayed the overdue departure of our shambles of a Prime Minister.
If one casts one’s mind back to the beginning of the pandemic, the reasons for not overloading the NHS and flattening the curve was so it could still provide emergency care, as well as dealing with covid cases.
Now people are waiting hours and hours for ambulances that then stack up outside hospitals as they have no beds or capacity, in part due to prevalence of covid amongst patients and staff.
Maybe Johnson’s “freedom day” was a very costly thing for one selfish individual to do to a whole country for no long term benefit to his career or the rest of our existences.
Admittedly as a country I think people were suffering pandemic fatigue, but Johnson’s complete abandonment of all restrictions all at once for purely political reasons and the refusal to supply tests to those who still wanted them was bad health policy.
Germany among others has already announced this; mask mandate from October to April on transport, and I believe they’ve also said it would make sense for the under-60s to have a booster. But then they didn’t fanny about with all the ‘face covering’ stuff: it’s FFP2 minimum. I wish we’d get a grip and do the same for winter.
UK buses are great at the moment though: with all the windows open, C02 levels on a bus are almost as good as being outside. Trains are a different story: levels are ridiculously high. Doesn’t seem like the train cos have put any effort into ventilation at all.
14 comments
I have to say I don’t understand why we can’t all have a booster, I would even pay like you have to do with the flu vaccine if you want it.
> The UK Government must be prepared to bring back compulsory masks on public transport in order to stop a significant winter wave of Covid-19, Tony Blair has warned.
>
> The former Prime Minister’s think tank, the Tony Blair Institute, called for a booster vaccine to be offered to every British adult over the autumn as part of its plan to avoid a meltdown of the NHS.
>
> Millions of people are on waiting lists while A&E waiting times are near an all-time high, according to the institute. In a new paper, a panel of doctors and other experts warns: “This winter will bring a perfect storm, resulting in unprecedented demand and reduced capacity, which will combine to create the worst winter crisis in the NHS’s history.”
>
> If demand for health services grows in the coming months thanks to a surge in flu and Covid cases, “the NHS will no longer be there at the point of need – and lives will be lost unnecessarily”, the think-tank says in a report ensdorsed by Mr Bair.
>
> Mr Blair – who is backing the findings of his Institute – developed a reputation during the pandemic for calling for policy changes which were later followed by the government – such as extending the gap between the two first Covid jabs so more people could have a first dose quickly.
>
> Australia has been experiencing a major wave of flu during its winter – which has historically served as a guide to how bad the flu season will be in the Northern Hemisphere winter.
>
> The institute says minimising demand on the NHS will be key to ensuring it can continue to operate safely, and this should include reducing the number of people who end up in hospital with Covid-19, for example by offering an autumn booster to all over-18s rather than just those aged 50 or more, as is currently planned.
>
> To protect health workers and ensure the NHS is not hampered by mass absences caused by sickness, the institute suggests “widespread and early” Covid and flu jabs for all health service workers, and a higher grade of mask to be worn by everyone working on a ward.
>
> In a more controversial proposal, the paper says that “the strategic implementation of mask mandates should be considered for this autumn and winter”, with members of the public legally required to wear a face covering on public transport and other enclosed public spaces in the event that there is a wave of Covid hospitalisations or a dangerous new variant.
>
> The Tony Blair Institute also suggests a string of measures to improve the “flow” of patients. These include greater access to GPs and other forms of primary care so hospitals are not overwhelmed; technology such as “virtual wards” which allow patients to be treated in their own home; more funding to expand the social care sector; additional surge capacity, possibly including a return to Nightingale hospitals.
>
> The health service should call on volunteers in the same way as it did at the height of the pandemic, and commission new partnerships with the private sector to reduce the backlog of procedures, the think tank adds.
>
> The authors conclude: “The Government must do whatever it takes to support the NHS through this period and act immediately to avert an unmitigated disaster.
>
> “Failure to do so will result in the breakdown of the NHS as we know it, with a collapse in vital services and a rise in adverse outcomes for patients.”
>
> Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock rejected the claim that it was necessary to extend the boosters to under-50s. He told i: “In a pandemic, you need to vaccinate all to stop the spread – there’s a social benefit to vaccinating all as it prevents lockdown. In an endemic not pandemic scenario – like now – I think it’s reasonable to return to the pre-pandemic norm.”
>
> And the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said: “Covid-19 boosters this autumn will be vital in reducing the risk of serious illness which would pile on the pressure on the NHS at a time when services are expected to come under severe strain.
>
> “Recent drops in Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions are encouraging but with the potential for future waves this winter, trust leaders remain vigilant about the need to protect vulnerable patients. It is right then that the booster programme is offered to those at higher risk of severe illness first given the risks posed by Covid-19”.
>
> A health source suggested there were no active discussions about giving the new vaccine to all adults this autumn, but added it was “possible we would expand that far if a seriously bad wave hit”.
Tony got shares in big pharma then?
Why does anyone listen to him anyways?!
Tony the guy without any medical education
Thank you Dr Bliar.
(But in seriousness – these are pretty reasonable actions causing very low inconvenience. Let the whinging commence)
Good luck with that one..
No thank you.
Covid is ready to strike the uk with just 45 min notice or some shit.
Pandemic is over as far as i am concerned, they end socially before medically
I dont hare how minuscule masks are or how boosters are great, i want to be left alone and live my life with as little government interference in this regard
We did this. It was largely ineffective.
Tony Blair should just fuck off he should be embarrassed to speak after the lies he told when leader of the labour party
Even if you don’t trust Blair, it is worth remembering that the only reason we had ‘freedom day’ when we did, was not because the CMO recommended it was time, not because the medical evidence was there that it was the right time, but to as part of ‘Operation Save Big Dog’ to throw red meat to the Tory back benches that slightly delayed the overdue departure of our shambles of a Prime Minister.
If one casts one’s mind back to the beginning of the pandemic, the reasons for not overloading the NHS and flattening the curve was so it could still provide emergency care, as well as dealing with covid cases.
Now people are waiting hours and hours for ambulances that then stack up outside hospitals as they have no beds or capacity, in part due to prevalence of covid amongst patients and staff.
Maybe Johnson’s “freedom day” was a very costly thing for one selfish individual to do to a whole country for no long term benefit to his career or the rest of our existences.
Admittedly as a country I think people were suffering pandemic fatigue, but Johnson’s complete abandonment of all restrictions all at once for purely political reasons and the refusal to supply tests to those who still wanted them was bad health policy.
Germany among others has already announced this; mask mandate from October to April on transport, and I believe they’ve also said it would make sense for the under-60s to have a booster. But then they didn’t fanny about with all the ‘face covering’ stuff: it’s FFP2 minimum. I wish we’d get a grip and do the same for winter.
UK buses are great at the moment though: with all the windows open, C02 levels on a bus are almost as good as being outside. Trains are a different story: levels are ridiculously high. Doesn’t seem like the train cos have put any effort into ventilation at all.