Thousands more people in the UK will now be offered the latest Covid booster vaccine over fears immunity levels are waning.
Although for the majority of the population Covid is no longer a health problem, for some it can cause serious symptoms and even be life-threatening.
In April, another vaccine was offered to those over 75, along with nursing home residents and people with weakened immune systems.
But the autumn booster, which the NHS began rolling out this week, will also be offered to over-65s and healthcare workers, after research suggested these groups now have reduced protection against the virus.
The last time a 65-year-old was offered the Covid vaccine was 12 months ago.
The Covid vaccine program is expected to be scaled back this autumn and beyond to save money as the virus is now “relatively mild” for most Britons.
The autumn Covid vaccination campaign is already underway, but will you be offered the vaccine, 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 “rapidly spreading” variant that could lead to a surge in infections and hospitalizations in the coming weeks.
“We currently have a combination of new variants and lack of immunity in the population, so the booster dose is really important this winter,” says Professor Lawrence Young, a virus expert at the University of Warwick.
‘There are already many more infections than we would have expected at this point in the year, and it is likely to get worse before the end of the year. This is partly why 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 nursing home residents received the vaccine, up from just under 90 percent last fall.
However, Covid is on the rise again in the UK. According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency, cases have increased by more than a third in England in just one week.
In the seven days to September 18, 2,213 Covid cases were recorded, an increase of 530 on the previous week.
The JCVI said Covid is now a “relatively mild illness” for the vast majority of people.
A new Covid variant, called BA.2.86, or Pirola, has been identified that has a large number of mutations compared to the other circulating Omicron variants, suggesting it could be a bigger problem (file photo)
During the same period, there were 1,465 Covid hospitalizations and 89 deaths.
The rise in cases has been attributed to a highly transmissible variant called XEC, identified in Germany in June, which is spreading across Europe. NHS England has also warned of a so-called “tripledemic” of Covid, flu and the respiratory virus RSV this winter.
“The criteria have been expanded since the spring due to declining immunity in the population,” says Professor Peter Openshaw, an expert in 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 was updated this year to combat the newer variants.
Eligible patients will be contacted directly by the NHS, but they can also book their own appointments via the NHS app, GPs, pharmacies, walk-in clinics or by calling 119.
Anyone who is also eligible for a flu vaccine will be offered this at the same time. However, patients will have to book a separate appointment to receive the new RSV vaccine, although experts believe there is no risk in receiving all three at the same time.
Some major pharmacies and private clinics will also sell and administer the Pfizer Covid vaccine directly to the public, varying in cost from £45 to £99.
To qualify for these vaccines, you must be 12 years old or older and not have had a Covid jab in the last 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 fiddling with the eligibility criteria and it should be offered to everyone over 50,” says Professor Young.
‘If you are in contact with someone older or have your own health problems, I would recommend that you get vaccinated privately.
‘We have become very complacent about Covid: it is not like catching a cold. The more we learn about this, the more worrying it is.
“That’s why it’s important for people to catch up on their vaccines.”