All Policies Include Coronavirus Cover
Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30
Coronavirus FAQs
Questions about cover for coronavirus? Read our FAQs and find out what our policies can do for you. If you would like to contact us, please note we are currently only available 09:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday due to reduced operational capacity. Thank you.
04 July 2013 09:29
Malaria parasites thrive in red blood cells
The quest for a malaria vaccine has moved a step further after an Australian trial proved successful on mice.
The vaccine caused naturally existing white cells, or T-cells, to attack the potentially deadly malaria parasite that lives in red blood cells.
This is encouraging news for travellers, who need to be particularly wary if visiting a country where the disease is present. Those travelling to such countries should remember to arrange medical travel insurance before leaving home.
Scientists from Queensland's Griffith University reported that a single vaccination led to immunity to different malaria parasite species.
Lead author Professor Michael Good said the team's research, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, was focused on inducing the white blood cells to attack the parasite, whatever the malaria strain.
"The T-cells, when they're induced to kill malaria, can recognise proteins throughout the parasite, even internal proteins in the parasite," he said.
"So that's where we think the novel aspect is. We've been able to induce a form of immune response which can recognise molecules in the parasite which are present in every single strain."
Prof Good said he believed it was the first time a vaccine had been shown to protect against more than two strains of malaria in mice.
The vaccine is expected to be cheap and easy to manufacture, so if it works on humans it could have a significant impact in poor countries where malaria kills thousands of people every year.
"But we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," Prof Good cautioned. "We want to demonstrate, first and foremost, that the vaccine is effective in humans."
In 2010 an estimated 219 million people were infected with the disease and around 660,000 died, most of them African children under the age of five, the World Health Organisation said.
A study published in the Lancet in February 2012 said the global death toll was more likely to be around 1.2 million a year.
17 March 2020
Escape it all with a visit to one of the world's hidden island gems.
[more...]
02 July 2021
It's time for some Mediterranean sun and unforgettable sights. Here are five of our favourite must-sees in Malta.
Take your pick of the best beaches in Portugal, spanning more than 500 miles of the Portuguese coastline.
Holidays are back but not quite as we know them. Here's a quick guide to what to expect when travelling to and from green list countries.
28 February 2020
From tulip-filled trips to rose-tinged rests, these destinations are the perfect way to see in the new season.
04 January 2021
Join us on a journey to Ancient Greece to discover more about history's most revered statue.
Head north for a light show like no other. Discover how you can see the Northern Lights for yourself.
Discover more about the magnificent waterfall perched on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
10 December 2020
Don't sleep on the world's most impressive dormant volcano.
A destination that stands head and shoulders above the rest.
19 November 2020
Take a tour of one of South America's most captivating natural landscapes.
Discover the hidden depths of the world's most recognisable desert gorge.