Discussion on the government's response to the new variant, including the winter vaccination program and increased testing and surveillance, and the hosts' assessment of the situation and current Covid cases and rates.
The UK Health Security Agency has announced plans to bring forward its autumn Covid-19 vaccination programme, and scale up testing and surveillance, after the emergence of the BA.2.86 variant. Madeleine Finlay and Ian Sample discuss where current infection rates stand, the characteristics of the new variant, and how prepared the UK is for a new wave. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod