2 July 2021 – Latest data from Public Health England shows that the household transmission rate is 9% for the alpha variant and 12% for the delta variant meaning that 88-91% of household contacts do not catch it.
Vaccine
Vaccine update
24 June 2021 – We have previously noted concerns about myocarditis and pericarditis caused by the mRNA vaccines (of which Pfizer is the main one in use in the UK), especially in young people.
Bloomsbury announce all staff must be vaccinated
24 June 2021 – Bloomsbury Publishing have told their UK staff that COVID-19 vaccination will be compulsory before returning to the office on 19 July.
Vaccination update
17 June 2021 – HART member, Dr Ros Jones joined with 60 other doctors and academics to voice grave concerns about the safety and necessity of COVID-19 vaccines for children.
BBC mislead with child vaccination video
16 June 2021 – In a week of very worrying developments, HART has been particularly appalled by a recent piece on BBC Newsround promoting the Pfizer vaccine for children. The senior doctors on HART are in agreement that this video material is heavily biased, makes several factually incorrect statements and could be seen as coercive propaganda.
Exposure risk to babies being fed by vaccinated mothers
10 June 2021 – The human trials have not even reached a full year yet and did not include pregnant or lactating women, nor nursing infants. As a result, no safety can be ascertained, and therefore should not be claimed.
Changing the goal posts for the vaccinated
10 June 2021 – A stricter definition of disease for calling cases and attributing deaths to COVID-19 is long overdue. However, it must be applied to the unvaccinated as well as the vaccinated.
COVID-19 child vaccination: irresponsible, unethical and unnecessary
9 June 2021 – It is shocking that as of Friday 6 June the MHRA approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children aged 12 to 15 years old.
Child vaccination — implications for fully informed consent
3 June 2021 – HART continues to be deeply concerned to hear various MPs and SAGE representatives calling for children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the lack of long-term safety data.
Compulsory vaccination for NHS staff back on the agenda?
3 June 2021 – A number of professional bodies — such as the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Nursing — have already rejected the notion that COVID-19 vaccination for staff should be compulsory. Nevertheless, the government signalled its intention to consider mandating vaccination for NHS staff.
COVID-19 open letters on vaccination and other matters
28 May 2021 – A number of groups have now written open letters to express concerns about aspects of the COVID-19 vaccination programmes. Widely ignored in mainstream broadcast media and the vast majority of print media, we will collect the letters here.
Is the ‘Yellow Card’ safety system fit for purpose?
27 May 2021 – Defenders of the UK’s Yellow Card system claim that it is efficient at capturing adverse events.
Vaccination round-up
27 May 2021 – Seemingly there has been an international competition for the most persuasive incentive to get vaccinated. In Canada, it is only an ice-cream and live music, in the US it’s a free doughnut, whereas in Poland it could be as much as a hybrid car and in Dawson County, Georgia, convicted criminals could get up to 50% reduction in their custodial sentence.
Medics and scientists urge caution over child vaccination
20 May 2021 – Vaccine rollout to children faces backlash says the Telegraph, reporting on an open letter to the MHRA from over 40 medical professionals including several members of HART.
COVID-19 child vaccination: safety and ethical concerns
20 May 2021 – Recently leaked Government documents suggested that a COVID-19 vaccine rollout in children over 12 years old is already planned for September 2021, and the possibility of children as young as 5 years old being vaccinated in the summer in a worst-case scenario.
Vaccine developments
13 May 2021 – While the UK government continues to move towards some sort of vaccine passport (renamed “Covid certification”), this is being ruled out in many places.
Natural vs vaccine immunity: which is safer or more protective?
By Dr Gerry Quinn Post-doctoral Researcher in Microbiology and Immunology The long-term implications of COVID-19 vaccines for both safety and long-term protective immunity are currently completely unknown. It would be irresponsible to make premature claims The NHS advert seen below states that:‘It’s much safer for your immune system to learn how to protect itself through […]
Vaccination certificates – impact on the high street
By Professor Marilyn James Professor of Health Economics The road to recovery will be hard, our hospitality and retail sectors do not deserve for this road to be even harder with more bureaucracy. This briefing was published on 28 April 2021 and did not feature in the original COVID-19 Evidence review document. The economic picture […]
