“When is the Government going to accept that learning to live with Covid, which we all have to do, means we most certainly have an annual vaccine?<\/p>\n
“And that we cannot respond to new variants by stopping and starting sectors of our economy which leads to businesses going under and jobs being lost?”<\/p>\n
Mr Sajid agreed Mrs May had made an “important set of points” but he defended his decision to reintroduce stricter measures as the best way to protect the UK while further data on Omicron is being reviewed.<\/p>\n
JUST IN: Desperate Angela Rayner sets up new crack team as Starmer looks to AXE her Labour role<\/strong><\/p>\n The Health Secretary said: “And she is right about the early data about transmissibility – we’re certainly seeing that in the UK and in the reports from our friends across the world.<\/p>\n “In terms of the severity of this, we shouldn’t jump to any conclusion, we just don’t have enough data.<\/p>\n “Most of the data that is available at this point in time comes from South Africa, that’s where most of the cases are.<\/p>\n “It is important to remember it’s a younger population and they also had the Beta wave, and Beta is a much closer to this variant.<\/p>\n “Whilst it’s quite possible there will be a difference in terms of the clinical outcome, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.”<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n He continued: “She is right about her final point. Of course, we have to learn to live with this virus.<\/p>\n “It is not going away for many, many years, and perhaps it will lead to annual vaccinations.<\/p>\n “But we have to find ways to continue with life as normal.”<\/p>\n The exchange between the Health Secretary and the former Prime Minister came as Mr Sajid updated the Commons on the Omicron variant.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/139\/590x\/theresa-may-news-sajid-javid-covid-omicron-1532157.jpg?r=1638816509120\")
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<\/p>\nOmicron: More than 1000 cases in UK already predicts expert<\/h3>\n
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