AstraZeneca Vaccine Recommended for Over 70’s In Ireland
The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has been recommended for people aged over 70 in the Republic of Ireland.
In fresh advice, the country's National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) said there should not be a delay in its use, RTÉ reported.
The Pfizer and Moderna jabs had previously been approved for over-70s.
About 100,000 people in this age group have been vaccinated in the country, with 500,000 yet to receive one.
In its previous advice on 2 February, NIAC recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine only be administered to people aged under-65 amid concerns about the available data on its efficacy for older age groups.
Following this, Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan recommended that it not be used for people aged over 70.
Biden Set To Declare Independence from COVID for July 4th
President Joe Biden has said he is hopeful that America can "mark independence" from Covid-19 on 4 July if people get vaccinated.
In his first primetime address as president, Mr Biden said he would order states to make all adults eligible for vaccinations by 1 May.
Current measures prioritise people by age or health condition.
Mr Biden was speaking exactly a year to the day after the outbreak was classified a global pandemic.
Half a million Americans have since died - more than the death toll from World War One, World War Two, and the Vietnam War combined.
Calls for Legal Reforms Over Maternity Leave for Politicians
Female politicians have called for wide-reaching legal and constitutional reforms to ensure all women in politics are guaranteed paid maternity leave after the Government confirmed Minister for Justice Helen McEntee will take six months' leave from April.
Coalition and Opposition politicians said the welcome decision in support of Minister McEntee should be mirrored in all levels of politics - with one TD saying she was asked for a "sick cert" when she had a baby shortly after being elected to the Dáil.
Yesterday, Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told the Dáil that Minister McEntee, who is pregnant with her first baby, would be allowed to take six months of paid maternity leave from 30 April.
During that time, she will remain as a Government minister without a portfolio.
Human Remains Found Confirmed to Be That of Sarah Everard
Human remains found in a wood outside London have been confirmed as the body of Sarah Everard, British police have said.
Ms Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, was last seen while walking home from a friend's flat in south London on Wednesday, 3 March.
Police who were searching for her found human remains in an area of woodland in Ashford in Kent, on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police said the man, who is in his 40s and is part of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, was being questioned over suspected kidnap and murder.
Yesterday detectives were given extra time to question the arrested officer.
Add comment
Comments