The safety of COVID-19 vaccines currently deployed in the UK is closely monitored. This monitoring has shown that the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is associated with very rare blood clots. What is known about these very rare adverse events?
Digital skills are increasingly important for day-to-day life, including for communication, accessing services and employment. However, around a fifth of the population do not have essential digital skills for life as defined by the UK Government. While research suggests the number of people with basic digital skills has increased in recent years, concerns remain about those who lack them. Experts have highlighted that digitally excluded people may experience various negative impacts, including poorer health outcomes and social isolation This POSTnote gives an overview of digital skills in the UK, the impact of a lack of digital skills on outcomes in areas such as employment and health, and initiatives in place to improve digital skills.
In its 2017 Industrial Strategy, the UK Government set out a target of investing 2.4% of GDP on R&D by 2027. How is it planning to reach this target? What are the uncertainties emerging from COVID-19 and the withdrawal from the European Union?
The impacts of COVID-19 on mental health remain unclear. Initial research suggests disproportional impact on children, young people and those with pre-existing mental health conditions.
COVID-19 has renewed attention on unfair and avoidable health differences across the population. But it remains unclear how the pandemic might inform public health policy.
Educational inequalities emerge in early childhood and effects continue throughout a person’s life. How might school closures and disruption widen inequalities?
Flexible working could increase wellbeing and productivity, but benefits are not equally distributed throughout the population and could increase inequalities.
The use of social media raises questions around security, state regulation, privacy, and online safety. How can states balance regulation and personal freedom?
Upskilling and retraining adults is key to addressing future challenges and benefits productivity, health and wellbeing, social justice and communities.
Many innovations have improved the COVID-19 response and could be key for future-proofing against pandemics. What are the governance and privacy concerns?