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PA Media reports:
A coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNTech is 85% effective at preventing people developing Covid-19 symptoms after the first dose, a study of Israeli healthcare workers has shown.
The findings, published in the journal Lancet, appear to provide reassurance about the UK’s decision to delay the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine – given the high level of protection from the first shot – in order to increase the number of people getting the jab.
The government cannot guarantee that the current lockdown in England will be the last, a minister has said.
The Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said it was impossible to give the public “100% certainty” because “viruses don’t work like that”.
Related: No guarantee this Covid lockdown will be England’s last, says minister
