UK to extend COVID-19 booster vaccine doses to over-40s

UK health authorities on Monday extended rollout of COVID-19 booster vaccine shots to all those d 40 and over, from current over-50s cohort.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) vised government that a third top-up dose should be offered to wider range six months after ir second doses to to-up immunity against dely virus.

JCVI, an independent expert committee that vises ministers on immunisation, also vised that all 16 and 17 year olds be given a second dose of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, at least 12 weeks after ir first jabs.

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that National Health Service (NHS) in all four parts of UK intend to follow JCVI vice to help contain spre of coronavirus.

“We are expanding programme even furr and today I have accepted vice from independent experts at Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to extend ditional offer of a booster jab to people d 40 and over, and offer a second dose of a vaccine to all young people d 16 to 17 as part of primary vaccination schedule,” said Javid.

“I have asked NHS to prepare to offer those eligible a vaccine as soon as possible,” he said.

minister highlighted that immunity to COVID-19 begins to wane after six months as he pointed to new data published on Monday, which shows a third dose boosts protection against symptomatic infection to more than 90 per cent.

“This highlights just how important it is that everyone eligible gets ir top-up jabs as soon as possible… This is a national mission – vaccines are best way to protect yourself and your loved ones and I urge everybody to get your jabs as soon as you can,” Javid said.

results from first real-world study by UK Health Security ncy shows that two weeks after receiving a booster dose, protection against symptomatic COVID infection for ults d 50 and over was 93.1 per cent in those who h an Oxford/AstraZeneca dose – being ministered as Covishield in India, and 94 per cent for Pfizer/BioNTech.

“What's happening is if you can get your booster n your immunity goes right back up to 95 per cent," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters on a hospital visit in London.

So far, around 12.6 million people have h a third COVID-19 jab in UK.

"So, I believe refore that if booster programme is successful and with very high uptake, we can massively reduce worry about hospitalisation and death due to COVID at Christmas and for rest of this winter for literally millions of people. It really is as simple and as decisive as that," Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said at a briefing on Monday.

It comes as UK’s official daily coronavirus figures showed a small dip from over 40,000 mark to 36,517 on Sunday, when 63 COVID-19 deaths were recorded.