We all know the covid pandemic is far from over. While the summer has finally seen a reduction in the transmission of covid. As large super spreadder events of the early summer resind into the past.

What is next on the horizon is when people begin to spend more time in doors. They go back to their desks. Children from all over the country go to school and students start unversity. These slow moving super spreader events will give Covid 19 and its new strains a wide platform to spread again.

The New Covid vaccines are being prepared for the new vairants of the Omicron version of Covid. They are unlikely to be ready for autumn boosters as NHS seeks to avoid winter wave.

The vacinne booster will be offered to: - health and social care staff - everyone aged 50 and over - carers who are over the age of 16 - people over five whose health puts them at greater risk, this includes pregnant women

• people over five who share a house with somebody with a weakened immune system

Studies suggest that the new versions of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines may reduce transmission of Covid-19 and prove more effective in preventing hospitalisation.

But the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is still considering whether to approve jabs, and some insiders fear it may be too slow for the autumn vaccine rollout.

All existing Covid vaccines are based on the original form of the virus as it appeared in Wuhan in late 2019.

New versions of the vaccine are currently being studied by the MHRA but they have not been approved with weeks to go before the autumn boosters are due to start in September.

The regulator according to sources are being “a bit slow” after experiencing cuts of one third among its workforce responsible for assessing new drugs.

An insider suggested Moderna’s variant jab could be approvethe week, while Pfizer’s is likely to take longer.

The EU’s regulator said on Wednesday it would aim to approve the Pfizer vaccine at some point in the autumn.

Here at Lateral flow tests we believe that there will also be a shortage of lateral flow tests as the winter progresses. The new variant of the viruses will begin to cross the Europe with no lock down and th demand will surge for both PPE and testing equipment.