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A long-awaited study into the development of Covid vaccines and drugs was postponed indefinitely today.
The hearings for the fourth module of the official inquiry were due to begin this summer but have been rescheduled.
Baroness Heather Hallett, chair of the inquiry, said: “I know the postponement of these hearings will be disappointing to some.
“I want to ensure that our 2024 hearings are as effective as possible and I recognize the increasing pressure on organizations to respond to requests and provide information to the inquiry.
Hearings for the fourth module of the official inquiry, which looks at vaccines and therapies, were due to start this summer but have been rescheduled.
“I want to reassure you that we will hold these hearings as soon as possible.”
Dozens of families have sued AstraZeneca over allegations they were harmed by the company’s jab, which was widely rolled out in January 2021, nine months after the country went into its first lockdown.
Many were affected by vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), an extremely rare complication that can cause fatal blood clots.
However, the jabs – including rival mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna – have been a success overall.
Leading scientists estimate they have saved six million lives worldwide. Millions more were protected from becoming seriously ill.
Baroness Hallett vowed to ensure the investigation, which has already reportedly cost taxpayers around £145 million, will not extend beyond the summer of 2026.
According to a statement on the investigation website, the hearings will now take place “at a later date.”
It says this is to enable organizations to prioritize module three, which looks exclusively at the impact of the pandemic on healthcare.
The Covid research is divided into six segments.
The first examined pandemic preparedness, while the second examined the core of UK decision-making and political governance.
Modules five and six will focus respectively on the procurement and distribution of healthcare equipment and supplies, and the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector.
Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock have all been scrutinized in sensational conversations that illustrated the infighting at the heart of the government.
Scientific insights have also been shared by Chris Whitty, Jonathan Van-Tam and Patrick Vallance, among others.
Excerpts from his diary were given to the inquiry as part of the second module, which launched in October and examined government decision-making during the darkest days of the crisis.
In it he wrote that then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak was “all about dealing with the scientists” rather than controlling the virus outbreak at a meeting.