Thousands of people in Britain will now be offered the latest Covid booster vaccine amid fears immunity levels are waning.
Although Covid is no longer a health problem for the majority of the population, it can lead to severe symptoms and even be life-threatening for some.
In April, people over 75 were offered a new vaccine, along with residents of care homes and people with weakened immune systems.
But the autumn booster, which the NHS started this week, will also be offered to the over-65s and healthcare workers, after research showed these groups now have reduced protection against the virus.
The last time 65-year-olds were offered a Covid vaccine was 12 months ago.
The Covid vaccine program will be scaled down this autumn and into the future to save money – now that the virus is ‘relatively mild’ for most Britons
The autumn Covid vaccination campaign is now being rolled out, but if you are offered the jab, will it be effective – and how else can you protect yourself? Rachel Ellis asks the experts (stock photo)
The announcement comes as experts raised concerns about a new “fast-spreading” variant that could lead to a spike in infections and hospitalizations in coming weeks.
“We currently have a mix of new variants and a lack of immunity in the population, so the booster is very important this winter,” said Professor Lawrence Young, a virus expert at Warwick University.
‘There are already many more infections than we expected at this point in the year, and this is likely to get worse before the end of the year. That’s part of the reason the government has expanded the eligibility criteria.”
The latest booster vaccine, which will be available until December, will be the seventh Covid jab for many Britons.
Experts say that, perhaps unsurprisingly, acceptance has declined over time due to what they call “vaccine fatigue.”
In the spring, just over 60 percent of care home residents received the shot, compared to just under 90 percent last fall.
However, Covid is now rising again in Britain. Cases in England have increased by more than a third in just one week, according to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency.
In the seven days to September 18, there were 2,213 recorded cases of Covid – an increase of 530 on the previous week.
The JCVI said Covid is now a ‘relatively mild disease’ for the vast majority of people
A new Covid variant called BA.2.86, or Pirola, has been identified and has a high number of mutations compared to the other circulating Omicron variants – suggesting it could potentially be a bigger problem (file photo)
In the same period there were 1,465 Covid hospital admissions and 89 deaths.
The rise in cases has been attributed to a highly transmissible variant called XEC, which was identified in Germany in June and is spreading across Europe. NHS England has also warned this winter of a so-called ‘triple epidemic’ of Covid, flu and the respiratory infection RSV.
“The criteria have been expanded from the spring due to declining immunity among the population,” said Professor Peter Openshaw, an expert on vaccines and viral lung diseases at Imperial College London.
‘Normally boosters would be given every six months, but it is now recognized that maximum protection only lasts about four months.’
The latest vaccine has been updated this year to combat the latest variants.
The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments through the NHS app, GPs, pharmacies, walk-in clinics or by calling 119.
Everyone who is also entitled to the flu shot will be offered it at the same time. However, patients will have to make a separate appointment to receive the new RSV vaccine, although experts believe there is no risk in taking all three at the same time.
Some pharmacies and private clinics will also sell and administer the Pfizer Covid vaccine directly to the public, with costs ranging from £45 to £99.
To be eligible for these vaccines, you must be 12 years or older and have not had a Covid jab in the past three months.
Some experts have called on the NHS to lower the age at which it offers a free vaccine.
“The Government really needs to stop tinkering with the eligibility criteria and offer this to everyone over 50,” says Professor Young.
‘If you are in contact with someone who is elderly or has health problems themselves, I recommend that you get the vaccine privately.
‘We’ve become very complacent about Covid – it’s not like catching a cold. The more we learn about this, the more worrying it is.
‘It is therefore important that people are aware of their injections.’