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The NHS England has developed and published a new vaccination strategy with an aim to increase national uptake of lifesaving vaccinations, and protect people against a range of diseases. Getting vaccinations will become easier than ever before, as the NHS App is being expanded with more additional features. Improved booking features such as new in-App bookings, invitation alerts and appointment notifications will make "booking a jab as easy as booking a cab," NHS leaders said. The NHS App overhaul will also include improved access to medical records, meaning users will be able to see their routine vaccination status over the coming months and years, making it easier for them to identify any missed vaccinations in their history.

Dementia is an extremely deceptive disease that develops slowly and may go unnoticed in people, said NHS mental health director Claire Murdoch, while urging people to look out for the vital warning signs of this condition among family and friends over Christmas. Common early symptoms of dementia may include emotional change, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, struggling to follow a conversation or find the right word, being confused about time and place, the health service has cautioned. An increasing number of people have been diagnosed with dementia in England since the start of the pandemic, following a drive by the NHS England to increase diagnosis rates. In November 2023, NHS staff diagnosed 463,797 people aged over 65 with dementia, up more than 41,000 compared to the same period last year, according to the figures revealed by the health service.

Amgen Inc on Monday agreed to buy Horizon Therapeutics Plc in a deal valued at $27.8 billion (£22.67bn), fortifying its rare diseases portfolio in the biggest buyout in the sector this year. The company will pay $116.50 in cash, a premium of nearly 20 per cent to the stock's last close, for each Horizon share. Horizon shares closed up 15 per cent on Monday at $112.36. They had climbed 23.5 per cent through Friday since the company disclosed in late November it was in preliminary talks with Amgen, Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson for potential offers. Amgen shares dipped less than 1 per cent to close at $276.78. Sanofi said Sunday it ended discussions with Horizon after concluding the transaction prices "do not meet our value criteria." J&J also said in early December that it had dropped its pursuit of the deal.