Fresh booster jabs likely for over-50s from autumn
‘This virus is not going away. But all the efforts of the last two years finally enable us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties’
‘After two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history I do believe this is a moment of pride for our nation’
MILLIONS of over-50s could be offered Covid boosters this autumn, as the Prime Minister insisted Britain’s vaccine rollout was the key to “restoring our liberties in full”.
Fourth jabs will start being offered to those aged 75 and over from next month, with a further rollout of vaccines expected later this year when the programme may be much more widely extended.
Announcing the end of legal requirements to self-isolate from Thursday and a major scaling back of free testing from April, Boris Johnson praised “the extraordinary success” of Britain’s vac- cine rollout.
He described it as “possibly the greatest national effort in our peacetime history”, which had allowed the country to restore its freedoms.
The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference: “Today is not the day we can declare victory over Covid, because this virus is not going away. But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enable us to protect ourselves whilst restoring our liberties in full.
“After two of the darkest, grimmest years in our peacetime history I do believe this is a moment of pride for our nation.”
The Government’s scientific advisers yesterday said an “extra spring dose” would be advised for around eightmillion elderly and vulnerable people, with the rollout starting within weeks.
These groups are also likely to be offered further doses this autumn, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said, in a programme that could be extended far more widely potentially to cover all over-50s.
Mr Johnson set out the strategy for “living with Covid” after a Cabinet meeting to sign off the plans was delayed by rows between the Health Secretary and Chancellor over funding.
Sajid Javid had been pushing for more than £5billion to maintain free testing, including regular tests for asymptomatic NHS staff, but lost the argument, with the Department of Health told that funds for remaining tests will come out of its existing budget.
At the Downing Street press conference, Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the Chief Scientific Adviser, repeatedly expressed concerns about who would be eligible for free tests.
The Government has said that the most vulnerable groups will still be able to access tests, with suggestions that all those over 80 would fall into this group.
Sir Patrick said that getting the definition right was “critical” with Sir Chris saying that a “key decision” was yet to be made on the matter, to ensure that those who could benefit from antiviral medicine were able to get the tests.
But last night Mr Johnson insisted that the people should not think there was a “division between gung-ho politicians and cautious, anxious scientists”. He said Britain needed to face the fact that there “could be, likely will be, another variant that will cause us trouble”.
Mr Johnson cautioned that “the sun is shining but we’re keeping our umbrella” in the fight against coronavirus, with the continuation of surveillance to spot new variants.
Sir Chris acknowledged that deaths were at slightly lower than average levels, pointing out that far higher numbers of people were now dying from causes other than Covid than from the virus. And he highlighted “striking” figures showing the positive impact of jabs on rates of hospitalisation.
Yesterday the JCVI said it had advised ministers that a wider booster campaign this autumn was “very likely” to be recommended.
The future programme may be run along the lines of the annual flu jab campaign, which is aimed at around half the population, including everyone over
the age of 50. Officials said no decision had yet been taken about the size of any autumn rollout.
The vaccine programme will see fourth jabs offered to those aged 75 and over, and to care home residents from next month, around six months after their booster. Those over the age of 12 who are immunosuppressed will also be offered an extra jab, which for many will be their fifth dose.
Those over the age of 18 will be offered Moderna or Pfizer, while those aged 12 to 18 will be offered Pfizer.
The extra boosters are being offered as a “precautionary” measure, amid concern that immunity wanes more quickly in older and vulnerable groups.
Officials said the committee had provided interim advice to ministers, which says that “a further booster in the autumn of 2022 is likely to be advised for people who are at higher risk of severe Covid-19”. Scientists said it was too early to set out the precise details of what that programme may look like.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, chairman of Covid-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said: “Last year’s booster vaccination programme has so far provided excellent protection against severe Covid-19.
“To maintain high levels of protection for the most vulnerable individuals, an extra spring dose of vaccine is advised ahead of an expected autumn booster programme later this year.
“The JCVI will continue its rolling review of the vaccination programme and the epidemiological situation, particularly in relation to the timing and value of doses for less vulnerable older adults and those in clinical risk groups.”
Latest data on those aged 75 and over show booster jabs are 93 per cent effective against hospitalisation, and only fall to 88 per cent at 10 weeks.“