According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, all people over 18 years old will be given a Covid-19 booster vaccine. Evidence suggests that higher antibody levels may provide better protection against Omicron variants.
Further advice is that young people between 12 and 15 years old should receive a second dose (Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19) no later than 12 weeks following their first dose.
Experts believe that the Omicron variant could decrease the effectiveness of vaccines to stop people getting infected. But vaccines might still protect against severe diseases. It could take scientists three weeks to provide more details about how transmissible this variant is, whether or not it evades vaccine protection, as well as whether or not it causes more severe illness.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of the JCVI said: “Having a booster dose of the vaccine will help to increase our level of protection against the Omicron variant.
“This is an important way for us to reduce the impact of this variant on our lives, especially in the coming months. “If you are eligible for a booster, please take up the offer and keep yourself protected as we head into winter.”
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Here’s what we know:
Do I have the right to receive a boost dose?
To increase their protection, all adults aged 18-39 will receive a booster vaccine. The JCVI stated that those who are clinically vulnerable should be prioritized.
Age 40 or older is eligible.
How do I get it?
While it’s not known exactly how the rollout will take place, professor Jonathan Van-Tam claimed that the NHS will launch the booster campaign. “orderly”It is possible to prevent younger people from catching up to those who are more susceptible to Covid-19.
Patients who are diagnosed as clinically vulnerable and over 40 years old can book already Here is the NHS website – though, the website has not yet been updated to include bookings for those aged between 18 and 39 who are not clinically vulnerable.
When should I get it?”
The JCVI has said gaps between the second Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots should be reduced from six months to three months. After completing the primary three doses, severe immunosuppressed individuals should receive a booster dose within three months.
They added that both the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines can be given as a booster for adults – with equal preference given to both.
What have other people said?
In a speech to the King’s Fund annual conference on Monday, Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS in England, said NHS staff will “move heaven and earth to vaccinate as many people as possible”So that all can celebrate Christmas with their loved ones.
However, she stated that volunteers are necessary to aid the cause. “vital national effort”To expand the coronavirus vaccination programme and to add the service “will not be able to do it alone”.
Dr June Raine is the chief executive officer of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. “The public can be confident that our robust regulatory assessment supports the JCVI’s recommended extension to the vaccination campaign.
“This further strengthens our ability to ensure people are protected against Covid-19 and saves lives.
“Our safety monitoring to date shows that Covid-19 vaccines continue to have a positive safety profile for the majority of people. When you are called for your booster dose, you can come forward confident that the benefits in preventing serious Covid-19 far outweigh any risks.”
Monday afternoon will see the G7 nations’ health ministers meet to discuss the potential impact of Omicron. Initial evidence suggests that Omicron has a greater risk of reinfection, according to the World Health Organisation.
On Monday, the Scottish government announced that 11 confirmed cases have been found in the UK. It had identified four cases in Lanarkshire as well as two cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region. Another case has been confirmed in Brentwood, Essex. A third was discovered in England by a person who had traveled to southern Africa and visited Westminster shortly before leaving the UK. Sajid Javid today announced that two more cases were found in London.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that some of the Omicron variant cases identified in Scotland have no travel history, suggesting a degree of community transmission.
For UK-bound travellers, PCR tests will be returned for face masks.