Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to UK COVID-19 alert level moving down to alert level 3
The government has announced that the UK COVID-19 alert level is moving from Level 4 to Level 3. Dr … read more
Q&A on B.1.617.2 variant of concern
Journalists joined this 30 minute Q&A to put their questions to experts about B.1.617.2. There were not any presentations, this … read more
expert reaction to latest data from the ONS Infection Survey
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released the latest data from their COVID-19 Infection Survey. Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor … read more
expert reaction to VUI-21APR-02/B.1.617.2 being classified by PHE as a variant of concern
Public Health England (PHE) have announced that, following a rise in cases in the UK and evidence of community transmission, … read more
Q&A with vaccine safety and thrombosis experts
Like the last time advice was issued on the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, we gathered a vaccine safety expert … read more
expert reaction to ONS report on excess deaths registered in England and Wales in 2020
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released an analysis of deaths registered in 2020 in England and Wales, and … read more
expert reaction to JCVI advice of a preference for adults aged 30 to 39 to receive an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and MHRA response
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued advice to the UK government on the use of the … read more
expert reaction to study looking at sugary drinks intake and incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer among women
An observational study published in Gut looks at sugar-sweetened beverage intake in adulthood and adolescence and risk of early-onset colorectal … read more
expert reaction to the Global Methane Report
The Global Methane Report has been published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Prof Myles Allen, Professor of … read more
expert reaction to study looking at sex-specific impact of obesity on outcomes for hospitalised COVID-19 patients
A study published in European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases looks at sex-specific impact of severe obesity on … read more
how should genetically altered food be regulated?
In January, Defra launched a public consultation on the regulation of genetic technologies in the UK. The government is expected … read more
expert reaction to ONS figures for quarterly alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released data on quarterly alcohol-specific deaths in England and Wales: 2001 to 2019 registrations … read more
expert reaction to Biden administration support for waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines
The U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai released a statement today announcing the Biden-Harris Administration’s support for waiving intellectual property (IP) … read more
expert reaction to study from Denmark and Norway looking at rare blood clots after the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
A study published in the BMJ looks at arterial events, venous thromboembolism, thrombocytopenia, and bleeding after vaccination with the Oxford-AstraZeneca … read more
expert reaction to Israel nation-wide study looking at Pfizer vaccine effectiveness
A observational study published in the Lancet looks at impact and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine against infections, cases, … read more
expert reaction to phase 2a-b trial of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa against the B.1.351 ‘South African’ variant
A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) looks at results from the phase 2a-b trial of … read more
impact of melting land ice on sea level rise
Rising temperatures as a result of CO2 emissions will cause land ice to melt and sea level to rise. Glaciers, … read more
expert reaction to the latest fortnightly release on the ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey looking at characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 in the UK, 5 May 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released the latest report from the COVID-19 infection survey, looking at characteristics of people testing … read more
expert reaction to ONS stats on deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provisional: week ending 23 April 2021
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the … read more
expert reaction to study looking at short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use
The Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, published in Nature Aging, looks at short-term air pollution, cognitive performance and use of nonsteroidal … read more