Covid news – live: EU withdraws controversial plan for vaccine export controls at Irish border

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What you need to know about the coronavirus vaccines

The EU has backed down over its controversial plan to use a Brexit clause to stop Covid vaccines crossing the Irish border amid the ongoing row over jab supplies.

Downing Street had demanded an urgent explanation after the European Commission said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all citizens of the bloc have access to jabs and maintain transparency.

However the move was widely condemned across the UK and Ireland - with both Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party describing the move as “totally ill judged” and '"an incredible act of hostility".

The Commission later confirmed that it would not trigger Article 16 but warned that it would consider taking action if attempts were made to circumvent export controls imposed on vaccines produced within the bloc. The dispute began after AstraZeneca announced it would reduce its initial supplies of vaccines to the EU by 60 per cent.

It came as the European Medicines Agency granted authorisation for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the EU on Friday.

Meanwhile, a fourth Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in the UK in a matter of weeks after clinical trials showed the Novavax candidate was 89 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus.

The Novavax jab, which will be produced on Teesside, will now be assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against emerging variants, such as the new UK and South African strains.

• Tony Blair calls for world to come together to fight Covid
• EU steps up threat to block vaccine exports to UK by exploring ‘all legal means’ to keep supplies
• Dubai joins ‘red list’ with travel ban from UAE
• Does the new coronavirus strain have the same symptoms as the first?
• The vaccine bust-up between Britain and the EU is a lose-lose situation - but is it a sign of things to come?

Key Points

• EU forced to withdraw Northern Ireland threat in vaccines row
• UK demands urgent explanation over export controls at Irish border
• France closes borders to travellers from outside the EU
• Novavax vaccine 89% effective in preventing Covid, preliminary analysis finds
• Macron labels AstraZeneca jab ‘quasi-ineffective’ on older people – hours before EMA approves it
• Covid infections level off across UK, figures show
• UK bans flights from UAE

[29 January 2021 08:24 · Kate Ng]

Novavax vaccine 89% effective in preventing Covid, preliminary analysis finds

A coronavirus vaccine developed by US company Novavax is 89.3 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 and nearly as effective in protecting against the new UK variant, according to late-stage clinical trials.

The vaccine will now be assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed, and could become the fourth vaccine to be approved for use in the UK within weeks.

Find out more about the latest vaccine candidate from my colleague Conrad Duncan:

[29 January 2021 08:23 · Kate Ng]

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s liveblog following the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as it develops.