Over 50s To Get ‘Covid Busting’ Injection This Winter
A new variant-busting Covid booster will be injected into 26 million people by December to ease winter pressure on the NHS, according to Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
Under 50s, however, will not receive the fourth vaccination, NHS England confirmed.
In eight days, Liz Truss will be confirmed as PM, and the vaccine to protect against Omicron will begin rolling out.
However, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has decided not to offer extra protection to younger age groups other than the most vulnerable.
“NHS England decides who is eligible for vaccinations, and we administer them.”
Deenan Pillay, chair of Independent Sage, urged ministers not to dole out fourth vaccinations, but rather to focus on those who have not had theirs yet.
In addition, the virologist stressed the importance of vaccination for those who have not been vaccinated. There will be no game-changing effects from this booster.”
A bivalent will be used by the NHS for the first time in the world, protecting against both Omicron and the original virus types.
Beginning a week tomorrow, care home staff and housebound residents will be first in line.
Aged 75 and over can make appointments through the National Booking Service the following week.
GPs and pharmacies will be able to administer vaccinations to immunosuppressed patients on request.
In addition, NHS vaccination director Steve Russell, said that will see the real effects of Covid and flu this winter.
In clinical risk groups, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines will be used for boosters in the over 50s and over 5s.
In December 2020, grandmother Maggie Keenan, 92, became the first person outside of a trial to receive a covid vaccine when she was injected in Coventry. More than 126 million vaccines have been handed out since.
