Booking change will let 10m more get booster jab for Christmas protection

From Monday, over-50s and vulnerable groups can arrange date for vaccine in attempt to raise numbers

TEN million more people over the age of 50 can book their booster vaccine from Monday, in a race to protect the vulnerable by Christmas.

It means around nine in 10 people due to get third jabs over the winter will be able to book a slot next week.

Some 14million people in England are currently eligible for their third jab, but fewer than eight million have had them. Changes in the NHS booking rules will immediately open up the system to 24million people – almost 90 per cent of the total cohort that is eligible for the boosters. The remaining three million eligible patients will be able to book and receive jabs before Christmas.

Officials hope the change in the system will encourage more people to come forward, knowing they can book a jab at a convenient time. The administration of second jabs to over-50s and others in priority groups, such as healthcare workers, was largely completed by the end of June.

But if the rollout continues at its current pace, with 1.6million jabs administered per week, those eligible would not be fully jabbed until early February.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said: “This will accelerate the booster programme, ensure the NHS is able to vaccinate people as quickly as possible, and importantly help more people maintain protection against Covid-19 as we know immunity will dip over time.”

Currently, anyone eligible who had their second dose six months ago can only book their top-up a week after those six months are up.

The update means that people can pre-book an appointment after five months, allowing them to roll up their sleeve on the day they reach the sixmonth milestone. Officials are braced for a major surge in demand on Monday. People can book online, by calling 119 or turning up at walk-in sites.

Latest evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies shows that protection from vaccines against symptomatic disease dips to less than 50 per cent after six months.

For Astrazeneca, protection falls from 65 per cent at three months to 45 per cent at six months. For Pfizer, it falls from 90 per cent to 65 per cent. Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95 per cent to 75 per cent for Astrazeneca and 99 per cent to 90 per cent for Pfizer.

Health officials said even small changes in protection against hospitalisations could make a significant difference to NHS pressures – a change from 95 per cent to 90 per cent protection would lead to a doubling of admissions in those vaccinated.

Early results from Pfizer show that a booster following a primary schedule of the same vaccine restores protection back to 95.6 per cent against symptomatic infection.