The Papers: Family of clot victim speaks as experts urge jab

There is widespread support in the papers for the continued rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, despite a change in guidance for under-30s.

“Keep calm and carry on jabbing,” declares the Daily Mail in response to the announcement that people aged 18 to 29 in the UK are to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca jab because of concerns about blood clots.

The Mail uses its leader column to point out that the “greatest danger is if large numbers of Britons… suddenly shun the jabs”.

The Sun has done its sums and, on its front page, spells out to readers that there’s a 0.000095% chance of someone getting a clot.

“Microscopic, minuscule and infinitesimal,” it says, to describe the risk.

The Times also urges its readers to “stick with” the vaccine, highlighting its importance to global efforts to fight the pandemic because it is cheap and easy to store.

The Daily Express insists that it is “full speed ahead on [the] vaccine rollout” – although the Financial Times says the abrupt change in guidance “could complicate Britain’s vaccination programme”.

Ministers and government scientists will now embark on a “media blitz”, according to the Times, to convince people the AstraZeneca jab is still safe.

But Dr Chris Papadopoulos, an expert in public health, tells the Guardian lasting damage may have already been done – describing the new guidance as a “severe blow” to public confidence.

The Spectator website thinks ministers sent out to defend the Oxford vaccine will now have to show “political courage” to admit that it is “second best”.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph leads on the story of Neil Astles, who is thought to be the first named person in the UK to have died from a clot potentially linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.

Mr Astles – a 59-year-old solicitor at Warrington Borough Council – suffered a blood clot on the brain and endured 10 days of “worsening headaches and loss of vision”.

His sister, Dr Dawn Astles, who is a pharmacist, says that, while the family are “furious” at what happened, they recognise he was “extraordinarily unlucky” and people should continue to get jabbed because it will mean there are fewer Covid deaths.

The Guardian reports that Professor Sarah Gilbert, the scientist who led the Oxford University team which created the jab, is expected to receive £20m as the company she co-founded prepares to float on the US stock market.

Prof Gilbert reportedly owns just over 5% of Vaccitech, while Oxford University could also collect a windfall as it has a similar stake.

The paper also points out that the planned floatation in the US “will come as a blow” to London, which had embarked on a major push to attract companies to the City.

According to modelling from University College London, the percentage of people with protection against Covid-19 will hit 73.4% on Monday.

The paper says these findings are likely to be well received by the government, with ministers reportedly unhappy at the “pessimistic tone” of the modelling presented to Sage.

However, there’s some slightly more worrying news in the i newspaper with government scientists concerned about a rise in coronavirus cases linked to the South African variant and a “deadlier, less known strain” first identified in Nigeria.

The i newspaper also has a story on Southampton City Council, which has been threatened with legal action for blocking a humanist’s attempt to join a committee overseeing local religious education teaching.

Humanists UK says the decision to reject Mary Wallbank’s application flies in the face of human rights.

One Church of England representative allegedly said allowing her to join the committee would be a “Trotskyist move”. The council says it will begin a “thorough review” of the application process.

“Gavin’ a laugh,” is the Daily Mirror’s take on the education secretary’s proposals to improve behaviour in schools in England.

It suggests even the “the most unruliest pupil” is not as disruptive as Gavin Williamson, whose “bad behaviour” includes the exams fiasco and forcing schools to reopen after Christmas before shutting them a day later.

But he gets support from the Daily Star, which says he “may be onto something” with plans to ban mobile phones from classrooms.

The Financial Times reports that Labour is now facing questions over the Greensill Capital scandal, after it emerged that a shadow cabinet member lobbied for the collapsed firm to have greater access to government-backed loans.

In a letter from May 2020 – seen by the FT – the shadow defence secretary, John Healey, urged ministers to give Greensill access to the higher £200m loan cap. Mr Healey’s South Yorkshire constituency includes Liberty Speciality Steels operations, which was backed by Greensill.

Mr Healey told the paper he had no regrets in making the pitch as a local MP.

Under the headline “Iceland of my fathers”, the Sun reports on the supermarket which has been told to use Welsh for its signage.

Iceland’s application to display its name in English only on a new branch in Aberystwyth has been opposed by the town council.

The authority says it is against “monolingual signage”. The paper points out this is just the latest salvo involving Iceland and Wales, after the company’s PR director was forced to resign earlier this year for calling Welsh “a dead language”.

And finally, many papers feature images of Britain’s largest rhododendron bush.

The plant – which is located in the grounds of a hotel in Horsham – has grown to a “tree-mendous” size according to the Daily Mail, meaning a double-decker bus could easily fit inside.

The head gardener has told the Daily Star he is unsure why “shrubzilla” looks so good this year, suggesting it could just be down to nature.

While the Daily Express calls the plant’s success “one rhode map” that’s a “blooming marvellous” way to take us further out of lockdown.