Third shot for elderly would protect against winter wave

PENSIONERS may get a vaccine booster in August as the risk posed by a winter wave is “too big”, a leader of the Government’s vaccine advisory committee has warned.

Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said he believed that the “top up” dose would be needed either to protect against a new variant or as a safety net, as the duration of protection is unknown.

He suggested that rolling out the third jab in August or September rather than later in the year would prepare Britain for a potential “large third wave affecting the vulnerable elderly” in the colder months.

“We certainly don’t want to see a winter like we’ve seen this winter, and if we’ve got new variants circulating and we’ve got dropping levels of immunity due to the vaccination, then that becomes an imperative to do a booster,” he told the British Medical Journal.

“I think we’re likely to make a bold decision to recommend a booster dose, even if we haven’t got all the evidence of the necessity, just because I think the consequences of not immunising with the booster dose are so big.

“If it’s proved that it’s needed months later it may be too late.”

Prof Harnden said annual vaccinations could be necessary to keep on top of the virus in the years to come, much like the flu jab. “The virus mutates, [but it] probably doesn’t mutate as much or as quickly as the influenza virus, so it’s very difficult to predict whether this is going to be an annual vaccine or for how many years. But I certainly think it’s going to be a booster shot this year,” he said.

The Government hopes that the

32million people in the top nine priority groups will be vaccinated by April 15, and that every person aged over 18 will have been offered a coronavirus vaccination by the end of July.

Prof Harnden’s comments come as the NHS prepares to text millions of vulnerable people with underlying health conditions, asking them to take up a vaccine “to ensure nobody is left behind”.

Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England’s primary care director and a GP, said: “Seeing the hope the vaccine brings to staff and patients has been a real career highlight and it is great to see that confidence in the biggest vaccination drive in NHS history continues with record numbers taking up their offer last weekend.

“More than a million appointments were booked for a life-saving vaccination and now the NHS is redoubling its efforts to vaccinate people at increased risk to ensure nobody is left behind.

“It is never too late to take up the offer and I would urge anyone eligible who has yet to do so to come forward and protect yourself and others.”