logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2020
31m 9s

Vaccino (with an extra shot)

BBC News
About this episode

A great day for science, a bad day for Covid-19. As the first Pfizer vaccines are given to patients in the UK, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine publishes its data. Adam and Fergus chat to virologist Dr Elisabetta Groppelli about how the rollout might go - and learn some Italian while they're at it.

Jenny Hill has the latest from the prosecutors in Berlin trying to build a case against the suspect in the case of Madeleine McCann. And in honour of William Shakespeare, whose namesake got the vaccine today, we've rewritten one of his great monologues for the Covid age.

Studio director: Emma Crowe Producers: Rick Kelsey, Ben Weisz, Alix Pickles Editor: Dino Sofos

Up next
Yesterday
How Is Andy Burnham Preparing For Government?
Today we look at how Andy Burnham is preparing for government on the weekend before he’s due to move into Number 10.He’s still to make decisions around his cabinet public, but we reveal how he’s actually keeping a lot of Starmer’s staff.Laura, Paddy and Hennry Zeffman discuss his ... Show More
41m 21s
Jun 12
The Keir Starmer Interview
Today, Chris speaks to Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, about the resignation of his defence secretary John Healey, his plans for the Defence Investment Plan, and whether or not he’ll fight a potential leadership election.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If ... Show More
25m 5s
May 3
Electioncast: The Mega May Run In
Today, we look at the biggest set of elections in the UK since the 2024 General Election.Laura and Paddy run through what the polls tell us, how insiders are feeling, and the challenges each of the parties face in different parts of Britain.Political correspondent Joe Pike joins ... Show More
42m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
Race for the Vaccine
On the same day the COVID-19 death toll surpassed 300,000 in the United States, the first vaccines are being administered, finally giving millions of Americans hope for a better future and a return to normalcy. We explore how officials expect to deliver a safe and effective vacci ... Show More
37m 42s
Dec 2020
The Beginning of the End of the Pandemic
<p>In Britain, news that the country had become the first to start administering a fully tested coronavirus vaccine was met with hope, excitement — and some trepidation.</p><p>Amid the optimism that normal life might soon resume, there is also concern. Has the vaccine been develo ... Show More
22m 18s
Nov 2020
The Oxford/AstraZeneca Vaccine
Tim Harford reports on what we know and don't know about the Oxford/Astra Zeneca Covid 19 vaccine, as well as answering questions from both the audience and our editor. On this week's panel of experts is Danny Altman, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London, Jennifer R ... Show More
27m 42s
Nov 2020
The Vaccine: The first glimmer of hope
The first in an unfolding miniseries - The Vaccine - tracking the progress of those tackling this historic challenge. We'll be making sense of the latest developments as they happen, taking an inside look at the vaccine industry, and learning from past efforts to defend humanity ... Show More
32m 37s
Nov 2020
A Vaccine Breakthrough
<p>It’s a dark time in the struggle with the coronavirus, particularly in the United States, where infections and hospitalizations have surged.</p><p>But amid the gloom comes some light: A trial by the drug maker Pfizer has returned preliminary results suggesting that its vaccine ... Show More
24m 29s
Apr 2020
The search for a remedy
As a number of existing therapies are being re-purposed to help patients with the most severe Covid-19 symptoms, we speak to a UK-based bioscience company about a drug they've developed and explore how it is being used in Italy. Guests: Tom Whipple, The Times science editorSomeit ... Show More
20m 17s
Nov 2020
C2 - A news story - A Covid vaccine
In this Learn English Vocabulary podcast, Jack focuses on some C2 Advanced vocabulary from a news story about a Covid vaccine. Read the transcript and find more C2 Learn English Vocabulary podcasts on Learn English Vocabulary - C2 - A news story - A Covid Vaccine.Support the show ... Show More
14m 8s
Aug 2025
The future of vaccines
Trump 1.0 got us safe COVID vaccines in record time. Trump 2.0 is trying to take the vaccines away. This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy and Denise Guerra, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Tatasciore and Andrea Kristinsdottir with ... Show More
25m 52s
Oct 2021
Pfizer’s Halloween Treat
The drug maker says its COVID vaccine is super effective in little kids. Plus: Alec Baldwin responds after he killed a woman with a prop gun. And, a town in Michigan has its water supply cut off after poison was found in the pipes. A case of environmental racism? To learn more ab ... Show More
1h 18m
Aug 2021
Sir Andrew Pollard: The war on Covid-19
Stephen Sackur speaks to Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and a key figure in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Science has offered up tools to beat the virus - but from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine inequality - are we making the ... Show More
23m 44s