Booster jabs will be available on the National Booking Service for people aged 40 to 49, and young people aged 16 to 17 will be able to book their second jab.
Booster jabs and second doses will protect the progress we have already made through our phenomenal vaccination programme, ensuring we can enjoy Christmas safely. People are encouraged to come forward for their jabs as soon as they are eligible to get the best possible protection ahead of winter.
New data this week further highlighted how important the booster jab is. The first real-world study on the effectiveness of booster vaccines by the UK Health Security Agency shows top-up jabs boost protection back up to over 90% against symptomatic COVID-19 in adults aged over 50.
The findings shows that 2 weeks after receiving a booster dose, protection against symptomatic infection in adults aged 50 years and over was 93.1% in those with Oxford/AstraZeneca as their primary course and 94.0% for Pfizer-BioNTech.
This means people who have had their booster vaccine by 11 December will have very high protection against COVID-19 by Christmas Day. Following a rise in cases and a return of lockdown restrictions in Europe, those eligible for a booster have been urged to take up the offer as soon as possible to protect themselves, their families and help to reduce the pressure on the NHS.
Following new advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) this week, the vaccination programme has extended, with over 40s eligible for boosters and people aged 16 and 17 able to book a second jab.
Those eligible for a booster can book an appointment in advance – 5 months after their second dose – to be vaccinated as soon as they reach the 6-month mark, and the National Booking Service opens tomorrow to those over 40 and young people aged 16 to 17.
Almost 6 in 10 young people aged 16 to 17 have already had a first dose in England, protecting them from COVID-19, reducing transmission and helping to reduce the amount of missed education. Second doses will top-up this protection even further during the winter months.
People can book by calling 119 or get vaccinated at hundreds of walk-in sites across the country 6 months after their second dose without an appointment. Those eligible can use the NHS online walk-in finder to locate the most convenient site.
