Booster jab plea for Blackburn with Darwen

Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health Dominic Harrison is urging eligible people to get their Covid booster jabs to make sure they are protected this winter.

The NHS is currently offering Covid booster jabs to eligible people – including the over 50s, anyone between the ages of 16 and 49 with an underlying health condition, and health and social care workers.

You don’t need an appointment – walk-ins are now available at vaccine sites across Blackburn with Darwen as long as it has been six months since you had your second Covid vaccine, you can go and get your booster jab. You can now make your booster appointment 5 months after your second jab – as long as it has been 6 months after your second vaccine when the appointment takes place.

You may have already received a text or a letter from the NHS offering you a Covid booster dose – but you don’t need to wait for this if you believe you’re eligible.

Watch Dominic Harrison’s video here:

 

Dominic added:

The reason a third booster dose has been developed is because of what we have learned about how some of us can lose some of the immunity from even two Covid vaccines over time.

This isn’t unusual at all and happens with many vaccines.

The Covid vaccination programme has already saved lives. As we head into winter, a period when we spend more time together indoors where we know viruses are easily passed on, it’s really important that we don’t drop our guard against Covid.

The booster dose will give everyone added protection against Covid, especially the most vulnerable people in our communities.

If you’re offered a Covid booster dose, please get it as soon as you can. It will help protect you over winter, and help you to protect your loved ones too.”

Covid booster vaccines are available to:

• those living in residential care homes for older adults
• all adults aged 50 years or over
• frontline health and social care workers
• all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and adult carers
• adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

If you would prefer to make an appointment you can go to www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or call 119.

Anyone who has recently had a positive Covid-19 test should wait four weeks from the date you had the test before getting your booster.