Worst of the pandemic is ‘absolutely behind us’ according to leading vaccine scientist

Claim comes shortly after a Liverpool NHS trust suspends visiting at three hospitals as COVID hits staffing levels.
Worst of the pandemic is ‘absolutely behind us’ according to leading vaccine scientist Photo by JACOB KING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Worst of the pandemic is ‘absolutely behind us’ according to leading vaccine scientist Photo by JACOB KING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Worst of the pandemic is ‘absolutely behind us’ according to leading vaccine scientist Photo by JACOB KING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

A leading vaccine scientist has said that the worst of the COVID pandemic is “absolutely behind us” and that “at some point, society has to open up".

The claim comes as ministers are closely monitoring hospitalisation data on the omicron variant in England before deciding whether further restrictions are necessary.

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The comments also come just days after three Liverpool hospitals suspended normal visiting arrangements as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the region.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduced the measures at Royal Liverpool, Aintree University Hospital and Broadgreen University Hospital.

The move was made after coronavirus was revealed as the reason behind more than a third of NHS staff absences at the Trust.

NHS England data shows 801 staff at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust were off sick on December 26 – the latest date for which data is available.

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Of them, 296 (37%) were off because they had COVID-19, or were self-isolating due to the virus.

This was a 68% increase on a week before, when 176 COVID-related absences were recorded.

'We just need to get through the winter'

Speaking to the Telegraph, vaccine scientist Sir Andrew Pollard said: “The worst is absolutely behind us. We just need to get through the winter."

“At some point, society has to open up. When we do open, there will be a period with a bump in infections, which is why winter is probably not the best time. But that’s a decision for the policy makers, not the scientists.

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“Our approach has to switch, to rely on the vaccines and the boosters. The greatest risk is still the unvaccinated.”

Although the government has said it will review the current restrictions in England on Wednesday (5 January) it is expected that this may be delayed further to allow more time to analyse the latest data on Omicron hospitalisations.

Asked about Boris Johnson’s current handling of the crisis, with his relatively light restrictions across England, Prof Pollard said the prime minister’s current handling of the crisis, “seems to be working so far.

He added: “The system isn’t falling over. But it’s finely balanced.

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“We can’t fully answer whether he’s got it right for some time.”

'Nine billion doses'

He also revealed that when the trials for the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine first started, scientists were told it would take two years before the vaccine could be rolled out.

Prof Pollard helped develop the Astrazeneca vaccine. He is an Oxford University professor, chief investigator of the Oxford COVID- 19 vaccine trials and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group.

Nine billion doses of COVID vaccine have been administered worldwide in the 12 months since Brian Pinker, 82, was injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine, the first member of the public to do so.