The latest health and social care news and a look at research and development into the treatment of common and rare diseases alike. We also look at the vital changes being made to help deliver effective healthcare through the digital transformation within the NHS.
A dangerous hospital superbug, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can now digest medical plastic like sutures and implants, microbiologists reveal. This alarming ability allows the pathogen to survive longer and form tougher antibiotic-resistant biofilms, posing a significant new threat to patient safety in healthcare settings.
A new study by the University of California, Davis has found that a third of Americans are either unlikely or hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.
New clinical trial data shows that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is able to give 66% protection against COVID in one dose - with an 85% efficiency at the standard double-dose.
Phase Three data from the UK trial shows that Novavax still works powerfully against the UK mutation, with a less intense impact on the South African mutation at 60%.
Engineers at the University of Bath have published a mathematical model that could help clinicians to safely ventilate two COVID patients on one ventilator.
New data from the REACT study finds that the rising infection rate has steadied a little, but there is no "sharp drop in infections" as in the first wave and the R is still high.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot spoke to Antonello Guerrera about the ongoing vaccine feud - with the Commission receiving 60% less than expected, raising tense questions about why.
New vaccine data from Israel suggests that the double-dose of Pfizer is performing at the expected rate of 95% efficiency - with the possibility that it is performing even better than that being further investigated.
The company announced that their current vaccine can handle the South African COVID mutation - with plans to create an "additional booster dose" to see if they can create specific protections against emerging variants.
The UK will offer its world-leading genomics expertise to identify new variants of the COVID-19 virus to countries who do not have the resources to do so.
