All over-50s will be eligible for a Covid booster jab six months after their second dose. So far 4.2 million doses have been given in England at almost 200,000 a day, faster than the initial rollout. That still means only half of over-80s have been reached, with millions of eligible people waiting.
How can I book my Covid booster jab?
The NHS should send out invitations 182 days after your second dose — roughly six months — if you are over 50 or have one of the chronic conditions that make younger people eligible.
Initially the online NHS booking service for boosters was only open to people who had received an invitation but from yesterday anyone who had their second jab more than six months and one week ago has been able to book a booster.
NHS officials say that a minority of people may face problems, for example if the date of one of their jabs is not recorded. In this case, call 119 and they will be able to arrange an appointment.
If you fall into the category of people who need a third dose because the first two are unlikely to have created a sufficient immune response — for example, some blood cancer patients — you will need to arrange this locally with the doctors responsible for your care. You will then be eligible for a booster dose at a later date.
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What vaccine is the booster?
You will be given a booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna, which have been given to millions of people in the UK. This may be the same or different from the vaccine you have had before.
Are people getting a flu jab at the same time?
In some areas, yes. But in other areas vaccine stock is not arriving at the right time or GPs do not have the staff or premises for a “one-in-each-arm” policy.
Do I need to self isolate if double vaccinated?
Fully jabbed adults in the UK do not have to self-isolate for ten days if they have come into close contact with an individual who has Covid. The second vaccine must have been taken at least 14 days before contact with the infected person. The rule also applies to everyone under the age of 18.
How bad is Britain’s Covid case rate?
The daily rate has been over 40,000 for a week and is close to where it was in July. This is still well below the peak of almost 60,000 in January but far higher than most other western countries — nine times higher than France, for example.
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Why are Covid cases so high?
England has had no Covid restrictions for three months, longer than anywhere else in the developed world. In addition we have been unusually slow in vaccinating teenagers: only 16 per cent of those had 12 to 15 have had the jab in England. As a result, most confirmed cases are in teenagers. The latest ONS infection survey figures show 7.8 per cent of secondary school age pupils would have tested positive in the week ending October 16.
How big a problem is this?
Hospital admissions and deaths look much less worrying. In England admissions are now averaging 799 a week, in line with much of August and September and far off January’s peak of over 3,800. This is why Boris Johnson insists they are “broadly flat”. But there is no doubt they have been steadily rising throughout this month. The key question now is how long this rise will continue.
How many people in hospital are vaccinated?
Among the elderly the vast majority are fully vaccinated — 87 per cent of admissions in over-80s have had both jabs. This is simply because well over 95 per cent in this age group have had a jab; those who have not been vaccinated are still twice as likely to be admitted. But only 7 per cent of under-30s in hospital have been vaccinated and there is a particularly problem with those in middle age: only half the 40 to 59 year olds being admitted are fully vaccinated.
Is immunity waning?
There are clear signs that antibody levels are dropping off in the older people who were vaccinated first. This is a key reason for recommending boosters. But it is not yet clear what this means in terms of how much protection is reduced, particularly against severe disease.
Why is the government so confident?
Cases and hospitalisations are still better than modellers predicted when restrictions were removed in July. There have been repeated rises and falls throughout the summer and there is every chance case could start falling again soon, particularly with schools breaking up for half-term.
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This time last year hospital admissions were doubling every ten days; at the current rates they would take five weeks to double. Probably only if this happens with no signs of a fall would ministers begin to think seriously about plan B.
Why is the NHS Confederation calling for a lockdown?
Hospitals, ambulances and GPs are exceptionally busy even before winter hits. With the threat of a bad flu season as well as Covid, Sajid Javid, the health secretary, and Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, have both acknowledged this winter will be exceptionally difficult for the health service.
But this is qualitatively different from the threat last year, which was an overwhelming wave of virus patients that made any kind of routine treatment impossible, sweeping away even emergency services. With vaccines this is now a very remote risk, so the social question becomes one of whether we want to normalise restrictions on freedom to help save lives during a tough winter?
