Fourth time’s the charm: Government prepares Covid boosters for over 50s this autumn
Covid boosters will be offered to everyone aged 50 this autumn, as the Government looks to contain hospitalisations and severe illness among vulnerable people.
The vaccines will be used to top up their immunity and cut the risk of becoming severely ill.
Younger people at high risk from Covid, as well as health and social care staff, will also get the booster.
While drug companies have been developing updated vaccines to tackle newer variants, it is still uncertain which vaccine will be used.
The original plan meant healthy people aged 50-65 would not have been jabbed.
However, the immunisation campaign has been expanded as current variants such Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are spreading quickly and is uncertain how the virus will mutate over the coming months.
There is also expected to be more social contact this winter than in previous two winters, providing more chance for the virus to spread.
The updated advice comes from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises governments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
For most people being jabbed – this will be their fourth dose, following two doses with the initial vaccine rollout and last winter’s booster amid surging Omicron cases.
However, some of the more vulnerable recipients will have had as many as six jabs following the latest proposed booster campaign.