Get jabbed so we can have safer Christmas

THE new drive to get people inoculated comes as the government aims to protect the NHS – and make sure families can have a better Christmas than last year.

In a statement at the weekend, the government said: “Booster jabs and second doses will protect the progress we have already made through our phenomenal vaccination programme, ensuring we can enjoy Christmas safely.

“People are encouraged to come forward for their jabs as soon as they are eligible to get the best possible protection ahead of winter.

“New data this week further highlighted how important the booster jab is.

“The first real-world study on the effectiveness of booster vaccines by the UK Health Security Agency shows top-up jabs boost protection back up to over 90 per cent against symptomatic Covid-19 in adults aged over 50.

“The findings shows that two weeks after receiving a booster dose, protection against symptomatic infection in adults aged 50 years and over was 93 per cent in those with Oxford/ AstraZeneca as their primary course and 94 per cent for PfizerBioNTech.”

Almost 15 million boosters have been administered in the UK so far as coronavirus continues to cause an average of about 135 deaths per day and about 38,000 new cases each day in this country.

Vaccines Minister Maggie Throup said: “We must protect the gains we have made through our vaccination programme this winter, and I urge everybody to help make this happen.

“Please get your boosters when eligible, and get your first and second doses if you haven’t already, to secure vital protection during the winter to keep you and your loved ones safe.”

■■People can book by calling 119 or get vaccinated at hundreds of walk-in sites across the county, six months after their second dose, without an appointment. Use the NHS online walk-in finder to locate the most convenient site.