Covid: Waning vaccine protection and soaring holiday priceson August 25, 2021 at 6:45 am

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Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning. We’ll have another update for you this evening.

Although expected, protection against Covid-19 infections wanes over time for those who have had both vaccines, researchers say. According to a study, protection after two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine decreased from 88% at one month to 74% at five to six months and fell from 77% to 67% at four to five months for those who have had the AstraZeneca jab. However, vaccination has prevented around 84,600 deaths and 23 million infections in England so far, Public Health England estimates.

Woman receiving Covid vaccination

image sourceGetty Images

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Holidaymakers staying in self-catered accommodation in the UK are paying an average of £300 more per week in August – that’s about a 40% increase – compared to the summer of 2019, before the pandemic. Consumer group Which?, with BBC Panorama, found Brighton is among the seaside resorts with soaring prices, according to data from AirDNA, which monitors websites such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Airbnb has previously claimed figures from third-party organisations can be misleading.

Two people relaxing on a beach in Brighton

image sourceGetty Images

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More young adults started smoking during the first lockdown, according to a study. The numbers jumped up from 21.5% to 26.8%, says Cancer Research UK, but there is no explanation of why. However experts believe many 18 to 34-year-olds turned to cigarettes due to stress.

woman lighting a cigarette

image sourceGetty Images

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New York bartender Jennifer says no one’s raised her suspicions when they’ve shown proof of vaccination, but she thinks it’ll be “really hard” to spot fake documents. Counterfeiters appear to be doing brisk business and the black market of fake vaccination cards seems to be booming in the US, so what can be done to tackle it? We’ve investigated.

Jennifer
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There’s no medicine that can help Steve, says his twin brother Bobby: “The only medicine that we know that can help Steve is love.” The popular DJing duo both fell into a coma after catching Covid at the beginning of the pandemic. Bobby recovered but Steve needs round-the-clock care. Take a look at their stories.

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Government statistics show 131,854 people have now died, with 174 deaths reported in the latest 24-hour period. In total, 6,555,200 people have tested positive, up 30,838 in the latest 24-hour period. Latest figures show 6,934 people in hospital. In total, 47,737,142 people have received their first vaccination. Updated 24 Aug.

With Public Health England estimating vaccination has prevented around 84,600 deaths and 23 million infections in England so far, find out how many people in the UK have been jabbed.

Find further information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

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