covid
The vaccine cheer is gone
I am 45, which means I’ve now had my third Covid vaccine. The experience of getting that injection crystallises a…
Do masks really slash the risk of catching Covid?
Which public health interventions help to cut the spread of Covid-19 — and which do not? Except for vaccinations, where…
What’s the evidence for Scotland’s vaccine passports?
Nicola Sturgeon is considering extending vaccine passports to Scotland’s cinemas, theatres and pubs. ‘We are also considering whether an expansion…
Should Covid booster jabs be rolled out to the over-40s?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has recommended that Covid booster jabs be offered to people in their forties,…
Eighteen months of inflation is not 'transitory'
The big central banks have been insisting for months now that the rise in inflation is temporary, and will fade…
The trouble with Austria's vaccine passport plan
Are vaccine passports being used in other countries in an attempt to cut Covid infections – or to try and…
What is the Bank of England playing at?
Last week, the Bank of England sent a number of confused messages. One was almost shocking: Andrew Bailey said that…
Pfizer’s Covid pill breakthrough
After the UK medicines regulator yesterday approved Merck’s Covid pill for use on recently infected, vulnerable patients, Pfizer announced its…
Why did we decide that Covid was over?
Look, I don’t know much epidemiology. Can’t pretend to. So what follows is, necessarily, a personal finger to the wind.…
No. 10 moves to kickstart the booster campaign
In a move that as important as any in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, Emily Lawson is returning to run the…
How concerning is the new Covid variant?
Should we worry about AY.4.2, the new Covid variant that has been in the news this week? The descendent of…
Colin Powell: A great man – and a failure
My memory of Colin Powell feels personal, even though we were 6000 miles apart at the time. I was in…
Why Covid means the big state is back
History suggests that when the state expands in a crisis, it doesn’t go back to its pre-crisis level once the…
The real reason Britain failed on coronavirus
The joint health and science super-committee’s report into ‘lessons learned’ on the UK’s coronavirus response may not want to ‘point fingers…
Macron's selective defence of free speech
In the early years of his presidency, Emmanuel Macron became known as Monsieur ‘En Meme Temps’. The president of France…
Harry and Meghan are wrong about Covid vaccine patents
Pharmaceutical companies might think it a bit rich being asked to waive the patents on their Covid vaccines by Harry…
Italy’s draconian vaccine laws are terrifyingly popular
In early August, Italy banned the unvaccinated from most forms of social life, then most forms of travel and now…
Will vaccinating teenagers really prevent disruption to schools?
After the JCVI recommended against offering vaccines to children aged 12 to 15 on health grounds, the government asked the…
Javid avoids Tory Covid powers fightback – for now
Tory MPs were not happy when Sajid Javid unveiled the Covid winter plan in the Commons this afternoon. They’re dissatisfied…
America's Covid rules are for serfs, not celebrities
Amid the ridiculous outfits at the Met Gala last night, between the faux-socialist in her absurd ‘Tax the Rich’ dress…
Can booster shots help Britain avoid another lockdown?
For weeks now, ministers have been getting increasingly frustrated by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s failure (JCVI) to back…
Is the inflation panic over? Probably not
So, is the post-Covid inflation panic over? That is how it looked last month, when the government’s preferred inflation index,…
Covid pingdemic takes its toll on Britain's economic bounce-back
The arrival of ‘freedom day’ on 19 July enabled people to return to concerts, festivals, and ditch social distancing, but…
Why didn't Tory MPs oppose Boris's tax hike?
Boris Johnson has just announced his plans to increase National Insurance by 1.25 per cent for both workers and employers…
Why isn't the vaccine UK approved for 12- to 15-year-olds?
This afternoon, the JCVI has essentially passed the buck on vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds. It has declared that the health benefits…
