Scientist says herd immunity is 'close' and further Covid lockdowns won't be needed; Data shows vaccinations are helping to prevent coronavirus infections and hopes have been raised we may be through the worst of the pandemic.

Byline: By, Martin Bagot & Sonia Sharma

Britain could be nearing a form of herd immunity, COVID experts have claimed.

Public Health England modelling shows 60,000 COVID-19 deaths and 22 million infections have now been prevented by jab protection.

And the total number of cases staved off by vaccination has doubled in just the last fortnight.

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Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van Tam said: "That's truly massive. The benefit of vaccines is in that kind of secret work you never see because if people don't go into hospital and they don't die, you never see that."

Hopes have been raised we may be through the worst of the pandemic after Office for National Statistics figures showed 73% of people now carry protective antibodies.

Experts caution antibodies do not prove immunity and insist it is vital we jab the last several million or many will end up in hospital.

Dr David Matthews, of Bristol University, told The Mirror : "I suspect we are close to a herd immunity of sorts. I don't think it's likely we will see restrictions again.

"Herd immunity will mean that COVID hospitalisations will slow down to manageable trickle so the NHS can start trying to deal with its huge backlog.

"People should not think if we get to a level of herd immunity they don't have to bother getting vaccinated.

"The vaccine is doing its job and stopping people ending up in hospital it's not stopping the virus spreading around.

"Whatever happens this virus is going to be with us forever and you will meet it one day and it could be a very serious infection.

"The only question is whether you want your immune system to be trained and prepared for it.

"The NHS has better things to do than deal with people who turned down a jab when they were offered it."

NHS data shows around a third of young adults have not been jabbed -around three million 18 to 30-year-olds.

Coronavirus By Numbers -Cases, Deaths And Vaccinations In The UK As Of July 30

Leicester University's Dr Julian Tang said: "Herd immunity is usually defined by the level of immunity in a population to protect against 'infection' but a more useful definition in the UK context might be herd immunity against 'hospitalisation'.

"So in terms of 'infection' we are not yet there but in terms of 'hospitalisation' the UK may have reached this."

University College London analysis estimates the herd immunity threshold at...

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