UK is preparing for autumn booster campaign

MINISTERS, health chiefs and UK Government scientists are stepping up preparations for an autumn booster vaccination campaign to protect against a third wave of coronavirus.

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said scientists are looking at a range of options, including new jabs to protect against variants or mixing the types of injections given, so if a patient had AstraZeneca for their initial doses they could be given Pfizer as a booster.

“We want them to be able, if they need to, from September onwards to boost those that are most vulnerable,” Mr Zahawi said.

The UK Government has already ordered 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in preparation.

Mr Zahawi told Sky News: “Pfizer is one option, we’re going to give them an AstraZeneca option, we’re working with the team on a vaccine variant. Clinicians haven’t yet made the decision when they will need to boost, whether to give more immunity to the most vulnerable, to increase the durability of the protection or to deal with the variant.

“When they decide, I want to give them optionality.”

The UK Government has committed almost £30m to improve vaccine testing capacity to help keep on top of the virus and any new variants.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said testing facilities at Porton Down in Wiltshire are to be bolstered to help “future-proof” the country, with a £29.3m boost confirmed for the expansion of the laboratories where scientists test existing and new vaccines against variants of concern.