Rollout of booster jabs to start in September
THE third “booster” doses of the coronavirus vaccine will start being given to people in Wales from September, it has been confirmed.
Dr Gill Richardson, the deputy chief medical officer leading Wales’ Covid-19 vaccination programme, said it was vital for those in the highest-priority groups to come forward for jabs as soon as they are invited.
She warned that even a small waning in the effectiveness of the Covid19 vaccine over time could lead to substantial increases in both hospitalisations and deaths.
“The booster doses will be important for the autumn. We know that if we have a 10% waning of immunity through vaccinations, or 10% lower coverage, then we may have about a three-fold rise in hospitalisations and, possibly, up to 10-fold rise in deaths in the winter,” she said.
“So it’s very important for those who first had their vaccine in cohorts one to four – that’s care home residents and staff, health and social care workers, the over-70s and those in clinically extremely vulnerable groups – to come forward for their boosters when they are invited in September so we can optimise their immunity ready for flu season and the Covid winter ahead.”
Dr Richardson said she is awaiting guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) as to whether people will be given the same product for their boosters or whether newer vaccines in development will be the way forward.
“We are waiting to see what product will be used for which group, but we will be looking very carefully at all the safety advice and the advice of the JCVI,” she said.
Wales continues to have the highest levels of vaccination in the UK, with nine out of 10 adults having one dose and more than seven out of 10 completing the two-dose course.
The Welsh Government’s vaccine strategy states that the target is for all adults to be given both doses of the coronavirus vaccine by the end of September.
But Dr Richardson added: “In fact we are going really, really well with our offer and I would be optimistic that we can bring that [target] forward. If we can continue vaccinating at this rate, we will have fully-vaccinated 1.9 million people – that’s more than three-quarters of adults – by next week.
“The more people who are vaccinated, the better protected everyone in Wales will be against the worst effects of the rapidly increasing Delta variant.”
However, she said only around three-quarters of 18 to 39-year-olds have had a first dose, leaving them vulnerable to infection, serious illness and life-changing long Covid.