Government ramps up programme to keep winter wave at bay

Under-50s are to be offered a booster dose of the Covid vaccine, the Government is expected to announce today.

Older Britons have been able to get their top up jab from six months after their second dose since September.

But now ministers are poised to expand the drive to younger age groups to keep the virus at bay this winter.

The Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) — which directs the country’s roll out — is expected to give the green light to the plans today, reports The Times.

Scientists believe the extra jabs could cut transmission of the virus this winter, and help keep middle-aged adults out of hospital. 

It is expected everyone will be offered the Pfizer jab, given the abundance of supplies and their extensive safety record.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden today called on Britons to take up the offer of a third dose to ensure the country could enjoy a ‘decent’ Christmas.

Some 12.6million over-50s — about a third of the age group — have already got their boosters. Among over-75s some three-quarters are triple-jabbed.

Britain’s daily Covid cases rose week-on-week yesterday for the third day in a row, after trending downwards following the half-term break.

Boris Johnson warned last week that surging infections on the continent could spill over into the country.

Older Britons are already able to get their top up jab from six months after their second dose.

It is yet to be clear which age groups under the age of 50 will be offered a top up jab in the expanded roll out.

Everyone over-18 has been able to get two doses of the vaccine, and 12 to 17-year-olds have been offered one dose.

‘Professor Lockdown’ Neil Ferguson — who advises SAGE — told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme at the weekend: ‘I see no reason why we shouldn’t be rolling them out to younger age groups once we’ve got through the priority groups: over-50s and the clinically vulnerable.

‘Our modelling suggests that, yes, it could make quite a big difference to driving transmission down to low levels.’

All over-50s are expected to be eligible for their third dose from mid-December, which marks six months after they got the second jab. 

A Government minister has said the vaccination programme offers the best assurance that further Covid-19 restrictions will not be needed over Christmas.

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden said it was up to the public whether new controls would need to be imposed.

‘It is in our hands. If you get the booster when the call comes that is the biggest wall of defence that we have against Covid,’ he told Sky News.

‘I am confident that if we stick the course, people take the boosters when they are asked to do so, that vaccine wall will hold up and we will be able to have a decent Christmas this year.

‘There are no plans to stop Christmas happening. The huge difference this time is the vaccine.’

He cautioned however that controls could be needed if the situation changed dramatically, such as the emergence of a new variant of coronavirus.

‘We haven’t ruled it out. If the situation change dramatically we would have to review that again.’