Covid booster ’enough to stop serious infection’ says expert
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Spring booster jabs will become available across Covid vaccine centres in the UK tomorrow. This comes after the winter booster campaign saw more than 38,000,000 booster doses given out.
Covid vaccines are considered one of the most effective measures to cut your risk of catching and spreading the virus, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What’s more, the cocktails mixed to trigger your body into producing antibodies can also help prevent serious illness and death.
However, two and even three shots of the jab are not enough as the vaccine immunity wanes after time.
Getting an extra shot is set to offer a “significant” increase in protection against illness from the virus, according to a study by the UK Health Security Agency.
Now, around five million eligible Britons will be able to get a second booster dose of the Covid jab, the NHS reports.
Can I get a second booster vaccine?
The new rollout will be offered to those vulnerable, including only:
- Care home residents
- Adults who are 75 and over
- People who are immunosuppressed aged 12 and over.
Hundreds of thousands of people, who meet these eligibility criteria, are set to receive an invitation to book their spring coronavirus booster in the upcoming week.
Those eligible will be offered either the Pfizer or Moderna jab.
However, people between the ages of 12 and 18 coming for their extra shot will be given the Pfizer vaccine only.
The NHS hasn’t yet specified whether the time gap between your third and fourth Covid shot will need to be the same as with the previous booster, which was previously set at three months.
The NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme specified it will contact people when it is their turn to get vaccinated.
Once you receive your invitation, you will be able to book your appointment through the National Booking System either online or by calling NHS 119.
So, there’s no need to contact the NHS or call your GP before receiving the booster invite.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Our phenomenal vaccination programme has saved countless lives and built a wall of defence which has allowed us to learn to live with COVID.
“Following the massive success of the rollout so far, we are now offering over-75s and the most vulnerable a spring booster dose to top up their protection against this virus.”
In total, about 600,000 people are expected to receive their invitation to book next week.
Local NHS teams will also be offering immunisations in care homes with hundreds more visits planned in the coming weeks.
How long will the rest of the people have to wait before getting their booster?
The health experts haven’t shared any concrete date yet, however, Mr Javid hinted that millions more may be eligible for extra doses later this year, Daily Mail reports.
Mr Javid explained that the Government would follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), saying: “Their most recent advice is they think towards the end of this year, maybe in the autumn, there will be a need to give a lot more people a boost, an offer of a boost. But I’ll wait for that advice.”
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