The NHS is planning to roll out a Covid-19 booster programme, giving those most at risk from coronavirus extra protection ahead of winter as millions of people in the UK who were given the AstraZeneca jab are set to get a booster shot of a different vaccine.
The plan will see those eligible offered a third vaccine – which instructs cells to produce the harmless spike proteins from the virus.
Officials at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the Pfizer and AstraZeneca for use as booster doses, bringing a national drive to provide third jabs one step closer.
Just when will the booster jabs be available – and who will be eligible for them?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the UK vaccine advisory body, has said a third dose should be offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.
Up to half a million people over the age of 12 in the UK are in this group.
The first stage of the rollout will offer boosters to 15 million of the UK’s most vulnerable people, including over-70s, health and care workers, older care home residents, those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, and the immunocompromised.
The second phase is likely to be extended to a further 17 million people, to include the over 50s, adults over the age of 16 who are normally offered a free NHS flu jab, anyone aged 16-49 in a Covid at-risk group, and those in regular contact with someone who is immunocompromised.
Although no official date has been announced yet, it has been reported that those people who will be offered booster jabs will be able to get them from September.
The Government is reportedly hoping to give nearly 2.5 million third doses a week starting from then.
According to The Times, those in line for a booster would ‘receive an mRNA jab’ – which could mean either Pfizer or Moderna, although seven booster vaccines are being tested in trials, with Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and subunit protein vaccine Novavax all showing positive preliminary results.
Earlier this week, ministers said the NHS was ready to go for when booster jabs were given the green light.
Dr June Raine, chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: ‘I am pleased to confirm that the Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca can be used as safe and effective booster doses.
‘This is an important regulatory change, as it gives further options for the vaccination programme, which has saved thousands of lives so far.’
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