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One scientist has called for vaccinated people to be allowed to gather and travel freely, saying there is no scientific reason why this should be prohibited.
Professor Tim Spector, who directs the COVID-19 The Symptom Tracker app study conducted by King’s College London said the vaccination program was successful and people’s mental health must now be considered.
He told the Palestinian Authority news agency: “I think we are actually in a much better place than many people tell us, and I, for one, am not overly concerned about what is happening abroad. “.
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“I think we need to start talking about when people who have been vaccinated can start seeing other people vaccinated.
“And now there’s no real science stopping me, for example, from seeing my mother vaccinated in a nursing home or, you know, wherever they live.
“So I think we have to start moving to the next area and realize that our plan is working and that we were doing it right.”
He also described fears of British tourists bringing new variants from Europe and elsewhere as a “smokescreen”, adding: “I think we need to realize why we have areas of the country that are difficult to get rid of the virus.
“Anyone traveling from a low COVID area to a high COVID area is obviously putting themselves at higher risk of infection, so that’s a consideration even within this country.
“But if you have been vaccinated, and many of the older people have, there is no scientific justification for preventing them from traveling.”
Traveling outside the UK on holiday is currently prohibited, with the threat of a £ 5,000 fine if a person is caughtBut some countries have said they would welcome vaccinated Britons.
There has also been concern that allowing the rules to be different for those already vaccinated would be unfair, as many people, especially the very young, are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. coronavirus vaccine.
Younger people have also suffered more in terms of job losses during the pandemic due to various lockdowns, even though they have a lower risk of contracting the disease than older people.
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Earlier this week, ONS figures showed that people between 16 and 24 years old represent 61% of those who have lost their salaried job during the crisis.
But Professor Spector said that while he could see the arguments for “not dividing the country in two”, “the mental state of many people and the needs of the elderly … should be considered equally.”
He said it would be better if the two people who met had received both doses of the vaccine, but added that, even with a single dose, “you will not get anything that will get you to the hospital.”
“You may get a mild illness possibly in a really rare occurrence, but you know they will still be very rare.
“I think ideally, yes, wait for both vaccinations for both people, but I think once it’s been more than a month after the first one, most people will be sure to see people who are free of COVID-19 and themselves vaccinated. “
Professor Spector also told Times Radio that the prime minister’s warnings of a third wave were designed to “keep the population in fear.”
He said that an increase in infections is unlikely until Christmas and that it is likely to be a “wave” rather than a wave.
Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said border closures would only delay, not prevent, the arrival of new pathogens or variants.
He added: “If the government chooses to reduce travel, that will not prevent the problem. That will not prevent the next wave.”
“The idea that somehow bringing in additional cases from abroad tips the balance and sends us into an epidemic that we would not have had without it is simply wrong.”
He said delaying the arrival of new variants was good if that extra time was used – “so what are we going to do with the time we buy by delaying it?”
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Professor Chris Whitty, speaking on the anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown earlier this week, warned of “potholes and twists in the road” as the country tries to recover from the pandemic.
And he also highlighted the “very big work” in preventing “lifelong” problems related to the effect of lockdowns, such as increased deprivation and health problems not related to COVID.
England’s chief medical officer also predicted a further increase in infections at some point and warned of potential vaccine supply problems.
“There will definitely be another increase at some point, either before winter or next winter, we don’t know,” he said.
“The variants will cause problems, there will be a shortage of vaccines and without a doubt there will be multiple problems at the national level but also at the local level: school outbreaks, prison outbreaks, all those things that people face in one day. -today. “
