Booster vaccines to be offered for all over 18s

The booster vaccination programme is being significantly ramped up in response to the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.

It has been announced by the Government that booster jabs will soon be offered to everyone over 18.

Everyone over the age of 40 who had their second dose at least three months ago will soon be able to book an appointment for their booster jab.

Younger age groups will be invited by the NHS in order of age in due course.

Those coming forward for a booster will be given either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as these generate a very strong immune response.

Children aged 12 to 15 will also be invited for second dose three months after first, while severely immunocompromised people will be offered a fourth dose of a vaccine.

The NHS is working to put this next phase of the vaccination programme in place and details of when you can get your jab will be available shortly.

This will include how the booster jabs will be given in priority order so that the most vulnerable people are protected first, while also making sure the vaccines are available to vaccinate millions more people in a shorter space of time.

The NHS will contact people when it is time to book in for their vaccine.

Details of where you can get your booster jab in Blackburn and Darwen will also be available shortly.

Dominic Harrison, Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health, said:

This speeding up of the booster vaccine rollout is very welcome, and it is more important than ever that people who can get the booster do so, as we respond to the new Omicron variant that has emerged.

It is still being studied but it is thought to be more transmissible than the previous Covid variants, which means it’s more likely to be passed on from one person to another. The best defence against this, and against Covid altogether, is to be fully vaccinated and take up your booster when you are offered it.

I would strongly urge everyone to not only take up the offer of an earlier booster but also follow the new measures on face coverings brought in to help control the spread of Covid infection with this new variant.”

Lancashire and South Cumbria Covid-19 Vaccination Programme Director Jane Scattergood said:

The NHS is having to work at extreme pace to respond to this new variant and to put in place the next and most complex phase of the successful Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Following updated guidance from the JCVI, we are now working hard to plan and set out how we will expand the booster programme – this will include how booster jabs will be given in priority order so that the most vulnerable people are protected first, while also increasing capacity to vaccinate millions more people in a shorter space of time.

The NHS will contact you when you are due to book in for your lifesaving booster vaccination, and when you get the call, it’s vital that people come forward as quickly as possible.

More information on the new Omicron variant and new guidance can be found here: https://theshuttle.org.uk/omicron-covid-variant-latest-guidance-new-rules-explained/