Million more Brits invited for Covid booster jabs

ONE million more Brits are set to be invited to have their Covid booster jabs from today.

In order to get the third dose of the life-saving vaccine, people in the UK have to wait to be told they can book in.

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This is because there are specific requirements for who is eligible – and it is largely based on when you had your second dose.

At the moment only those over 50 and over 16s with an underlying health condition, and health and social care workers will be offered a booster.

And only a portion of those groups will be eligible for a booster, as a large chunk won’t be more than six months on from their second jab – which is vital for booster requirements.

So even if you are in the groups able to be offered a booster, you have to wait to be called up.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “In just a few days, the NHS has seen almost 850,000 thousand people book in for their vital booster jabs and we will this week be inviting a further one million people who are most at risk from Covid to get this crucial top up to their protection.

“I encourage anyone who has received an invite, to come forward for their booster jab as soon as they can and protect themselves and their loved ones this winter.”

Hundreds of thousands more text messages and letters are being sent out this week.

More than 79 million vaccinations have been delivered and nearly nine in 10 adults have had their first dose since the first jab was administered outside of a clinical trial in December 2020.

Current JCVI guidance says that everyone aged 50 and over, as well as clinically vulnerable individuals and frontline health and social care workers, should receive a top-up dose.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Thanks to the extensive preparations of the NHS, the autumn booster programme is being rolled out rapidly to those most at risk and a further one million people are being invited to come forward this week.

“A booster vaccine will prolong the protection they have already developed from first and second doses ahead of the winter.

“I urge everyone eligible to get their COVID-19 and flu vaccines as soon as they can.”

Three vaccines have been approved as safe and effective as Covid boosters – AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna – by the drug regulator the MHRA.

But the JCVI decided to opt for Pfizer as a preference after studies showed it is well tolerated and works well as a booster.

If necessary, Moderna may be used as an alternative, but as a half-dose.