• My 89 year old dad was vaccinated a week ago. Is it safe to give him a hug now?By Cheryle Locke

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  If someone is vaccinated, they still have to follow social distancing rules to protect themselves and others.

  This is because no vaccine is 100% effective, and it is not yet clear whether the vaccination will prevent people from catching and spreading the coronavirus, even if it protects against serious illness and death.

  It should also be remembered that it takes a few weeks after vaccination before you are protected. For Covid vaccines currently available in the UK, two doses, spaced several weeks apart, are recommended to give the best protection.

  However, if you already have formed a support bubble with your father, you can have close physical contact with him.

• Is it true that the vaccine can affect fertility?From Patricia, Weston-Super-Mare

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  Experts say there is no evidence that the vaccine affects fertility.

  Those who intend to try to become pregnant do not need to avoid pregnancy after vaccination.

• Will the vaccine last your entire life or will you need to get vaccinated every 12 months, like the flu shot?From Robert Parker, Warwickshire

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  It is not yet clear how long the immunity could last after vaccination.

  People may need to be vaccinated once a year or every few years to be protected.

• Is it safe for me to receive the vaccine if I am allergic to penicillin?From James, Bristol

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  Yes. Penicillin allergy is not listed as a clinical reason to avoid having the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine.

  However, when you are asked for your Covid vaccine, you should discuss your allergies with healthcare staff to make sure there is no other reason to avoid it.

• Vulnerable people aged 65 to 70 were not included in the first round of vaccinations. Will we definitely have the jab after the first group?By Ian Cross, Watford

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  Vaccines are first administered to the most vulnerable , as shown in a list of nine high priority groups, covering around 30 million people in the UK.

  People living in nursing homes, their caregivers and other frontline NHS staff are leading the queue.

  People aged 70 or over, as well as clinically extremely vulnerable people (of all ages) will be vaccinated shortly thereafter and as quickly as possible.

• Will vaccination teams be regularly tested for coronavirus so as not to infect the people they are protecting?By Ivan Young, Romsey, Hants

  

  Michelle robertsOnline Health Editor

  People who administer vaccines will carry personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate to help prevent the spread of the virus.

  Some will also have already been vaccinated themselves, due to their profession as health care providers.

End of vaccine deployment

• Can I go home for my vaccination? I live in a different county with my bubble of support, but registered with my GP elsewhere.From Ida, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

  Yes, you can.

  All of England and most parts of the UK are currently closed and people should stay at home.

  However, you are allowed to travel to attend a medical appointment.

• I am currently in Gran Canaria Spain and plan to return home (London) around February 26th. Do i need a PCR test?From M Rad, London

  You'll need to show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test before you leave, if the new rules are still in effect, but Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps has said several different types of tests will be accepted.

  From next week, passengers to the UK will need to prove at the start of their journey that they have tested negative for the coronavirus less than 72 hours in advance.

  PCR tests are considered the "gold standard" because of their high level of accuracy, but the results must be analyzed in a lab, which means they can take a day or more to come back.

  The government suggested that rapid lateral flow tests would also be acceptable. These are faster and often easier to obtain than a PCR test, typically delivering results within half an hour.

  Most arrivals in the UK - including those from Spain - must also be quarantined on arrival for 10 days. You may be able to shorten your self-isolation time if you pay for a test after five days, and it comes back negative.

• I am currently in Norway. My flight back to Aberdeen is January 12th. I am a permanent resident and my husband is Norwegian. What are the conditions of arrival?By Dahliah Aziz, Aberdeen

  From next week (exact date to be confirmed), new rules are being introduced for travelers arriving in the UK.

  Before boarding your flight from Norway, you will need to show a negative result from a recent coronavirus test. This includes British citizens.

  In Scotland, this measure will be introduced "as soon as possible".

  Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will not be allowed to travel. Border Force will carry out spot checks on UK arrivals and those who do not fully comply with the roles face a fine of £ 500.

  Certain people will be exempt from the testing requirement, including those under the age of 11, carriers, and people arriving from the common travel area or countries that do not have the infrastructure to perform testing - there is little likely this includes Norway.

  Currently, people arriving in Scotland from Norway do not have to self-isolate. But Scotland and the rest of the UK are subject to a national lockdown, which means you only need to make essential journeys after you've arrived.

  Here's how to help a friend get out of a toxic relationship

End of last travel rules

• Why can the government not decide to keep all pupils and students behind a year so that no one misses their education?By Anne Ellioy, Iver

  Repeating a year in school is a rarely tried thing in the UK, although it is quite common in the US and other countries.

  Commenting in June, the education ministry said it was up to school leaders to decide how to educate students. "This may, on occasion, include the decision to decide that a child should be educated in an age range other than that indicated by his age." He added: "Such decisions should be based on sound educational reasons and in consultation with parents."

  However, it is not clear if the strategy is working. The Durham University researchers' analysis found that students who selected one year were likely to make four months less progress than if they made one year with everyone else.

  Moreover, the cost of retaining a one-year pupil is expensive - around £ 6000, far more than it would cost, for example, to provide crash courses for struggling pupils.

• My daughter wants to go back to university, the course is online until February but her classrooms are paid. Is she allowed to come back?By Jennifer Carter, Bath

  It depends on where your university is in UK. In England, nothing explicitly prevents your daughter from returning to her hallways, provided she has not tested positive for coronavirus or is self-isolating. She should also not travel if she is showing symptoms of coronavirus.

  Unless they follow some practical courses such as medicine or dentistry , most college students have been urged to "stay where they are if possible" until at least mid-February and start their term online.

  Students returning to their university accommodation should either be tested twice on their return or self-isolate for 10 days, according to the government.

  The higher education guide for England states that there is no ban on moving "if necessary", including form new households and move into shared houses or student accommodation , but he warns that moving households carries a higher risk of transmission.

  The Scottish government says that student return plans should be developed in consultation with staff and students, and that arrivals should be staggered.

  Students are allowed to travel to Wales from anywhere in the UK if they want to resume their studies. However, the Government of Wales states that the Students should not return until their university has instructed them to do so, when in-person learning resumes.

End of school and university closures

• Can I go out for a walk with friends?By David Girling, Portishead

  In England, Scotland and Northern Ireland you can walk with a friend - but not with a group.

  Exercise is allowed with someone who is not in your household or bubble of support , in an outdoor public place (for example, a park, a beach or in the countryside).

  You can only exercise with one person at a time, and you should not exercise more than once per day. In addition, you must not travel outside of your region.

  In Wales, you are not allowed to exercise with anyone outside of your home or supportive bubble.

• Are support bubbles still allowed for single parents? This was not covered in the Prime Minister's announcement.From Liz, Sheffield

  Support bubbles were not mentioned in the Prime Minister's lockdown announcement, but the rules have not changed.

  You can form a support bubble with another household of any size if you are a single adult living with one or more children under the age of 18 on June 12, 2020.

  As a parent, you can also form a support bubble if your household includes a child who was still under one year old on December 2, 2020, or a disabled child who requires ongoing care and is under five years old.

  A support bubble can also be explained by living alone (even if caregivers visit you to help you), or if you are the only adult in your household who does not need continuing care due to disabilities.

  You must not form a bubble of support with a household that is part of another bubble of support.

• My elderly mother is my supportive bubble but she doesn't live locally (about 90 minutes by car). Am I still allowed to go see her?By Tina Howson, Leicester

  Nothing prevents you from continuing your bubble of support with your mother. While the central message of the new lockdown is that everyone should stay at home wherever possible, government guidelines say you are allowed to leave your home and travel to visit your support bubble (and pass the night with them).

  However, it's important that you follow guidelines when you leave the house, which include social distancing and not being around anyone other than your mom.

  When driving to see it, you should also not share your car with people outside your household.

• I am a nurse and my husband is recovering from blood cancer. Going to work means taking risks on your life. Can I be on leave?From Lisha, Fareham

  If your employer is eligible, you can ask them if you can benefit from the government program of maintaining employment against the coronavirus .

  While on leave you will receive 80% of your regular salary up to a maximum of £ 2500 per month.

  The government has said that workers who need to care for their dependents can benefit from the scheme.

  If you work for the NHS, where most employees are not eligible for the time off program, you should speak to your employer. NHS employers have been advised to be as supportive and flexible as possible to staff with caring commitments.

  Hide this answer

• I'm 77, should I stay?By Maureen Watkins, Sheffield

  The short answer is that we all need to stay home and only leave for a limited number of reasons, such as errands or work that cannot be done at home.

  If you are also considered extremely vulnerable clinically, you should be protected and only go out for medical appointments, exercise, or if essential.

  The government has drawn up a list of conditions that would make a person extremely vulnerable . Your GP may also add you to the list of protected patients if they think you are at greater risk for serious illness.

  However, if you are healthy, your age in and of itself is not a reason to protect yourself.

End of winter closure