Author Archives: Science Media Centre
expert reaction to UKHSA procuring additional monkeypox vaccine doses and updates to guidance for close contacts
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest epidemiological overview for the ongoing monkeypox outbreak and procured more than … read more
expert reaction to UK wildfires
Wildfires have been recorded in the UK amid high temperatures. Dr Matthew Jones, NERC Independent Research Fellow, Tyndall Centre … read more
expert reaction to study looking at trends in weight loss attempts among children in England children from 1997 to 2016
A study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood looks at trends in weight loss attempts among children in … read more
Heatwaves – climate, resilience and human health
At time of writing, temperatures are forecast to hit 40C in parts of the UK on 18/19 July. This briefing … read more
expert reaction to new recommendations from the JCVI that everyone aged 50 and over will be offered a COVID-19 booster and a flu jab this autumn
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published recommendations that all over-50s should be offered COVID-19 booster and … read more
expert reaction to latest stats from the ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey, UK: 15 July 2022
The Office for National Statistics (ONS), have released the latest data from their COVID-19 Infection Survey. Prof James Naismith, Director of the … read more
expert reaction to latest figures on monkeypox cases in the UK
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest epidemiological overview for the ongoing monkeypox outbreak. Dr Hugh Adler, … read more
expert reaction to heatwave in UK and Red extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office
The Met Office has issued the first ever Red warning for exceptional heat as temperatures of 40°C have been forecast … read more
expert reaction to data from WHO and UNICEF on global childhood vaccination rates, including against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3); HPV; and measles
The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published by WHO … read more
expert reaction to study on global alcohol consumption and population level risks
A study published in The Lancet looks at population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year. … read more
How well do different medications work for insomnia?
Between 12-20% of the population suffers from insomnia. It can have a profound impact on health, wellbeing and productivity, so … read more
expert reaction to systematic review and network meta-analysis of medication for acute and long-term insomnia
A systematic review published in The Lancet looks at the comparative effects of pharmacological interventions for the acute and long-term … read more
expert reaction to observational study of moderate drinking and cognitive decline
An observational study published in PLOS Medicine uses UK Biobank data to look at moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and … read more
expert reaction to two papers looking at children with acute hepatitis of unknown cause
Two papers published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) look at acute hepatitis cases in children. Prof … read more
Can mindfulness in schools help young people? Results from the MYRIAD Project
With as many as one in five teenagers experiencing mental health problems, there is an urgent need to develop evidence-based … read more
expert reaction to studies investigating the effectiveness of universal school-based mindfulness training in adolescents aged 11 to 14
A series of 7 papers investigating the effectiveness of universal school-based mindfulness training to promote adolescents’ good mental health have … read more
expert reaction to study looking at sunlight and food intake in male and female mice, cells and people
A study published in Nature Metabolism looks at food-seeking behaviour and skin ultraviolet exposure. Dr Duane Mellor, Registered Dietitian … read more
expert reaction to press release from Moderna about their omicron-containing bivalent booster candidate, mRNA-1273.214, and its neutralising antibody response against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 compared to the currently authorised Moderna booster
The pharmaceutical company Moderna have released new clinical data on its bivalent Omicron (BA.1) booster candidate. Prof Beate Kampmann, … read more
expert reaction to ECDC and EMA update recommendations on additional booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have updated their recommendations on … read more