From Monday the 8 November, the National Booking Service has been updated to allow those eligible for a booster vaccine - people over 50 and those most at risk of COVID-19 - to pre-book their jab five months after their second dose. People will still receive their vaccine six months after their second dose, but the change will speed up the vaccination programme by allowing people to receive a jab the day they become eligible, rather than waiting for a convenient appointment.
Richard has also welcomed the news that 996,164 people in the East of England have received their COVID-19 booster or third jab as the government continues to step up efforts to ensure that vulnerable people are fully protected against COVID-19 over the winter.
The latest figures show that more than 10 million people across the UK have received their COVID-19 booster or third jabs, ensuring the vital protection they have secured from their first two doses is maintained over the winter months. A total of 10,062,704 people have received their booster and third jabs in the UK. 45,836,791 people have had two doses (79.7%) and 50,234,416 people have received one dose (87.4%). Seven in 10 over 80s and three in five over-50s in England are already vaccinated with top-up jabs.
NHS England will be inviting another three million people who will become eligible for their booster next week. More than 13 million invites, including texts, letters and emails, have already been sent to eligible people in England so far asking them to book their booster online through the National Booking Service. The additional letters due to land next week will mean around 16 million invites have been sent in England since the NHS booster programme began.
The online National Booking Service can be accessed here. People will also be able to book by calling 119 and can get vaccinated at hundreds of walk-in sites across the country six months after their second dose without an appointment. Those eligible can use the NHS online walk-in finder to locate the most convenient site or visit the Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes CCG website for details of each week's walk-in sessions.
COVID-19 booster vaccines have been delivered or booked in at every older adult care home in England where safe to do so, with almost nine in 10 care homes already visited.
Commenting, Richard Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire, said:
It is absolutely fantastic news that almost one million people in the East of England have received a booster dose or third vaccination, which will offer life-saving protection to them and their loved ones this winter.
Those people, including everyone who has got their third jab in North East Bedfordshire, are part of the ten million people across the country who have already received a booster jab. I would urge anyone who is eligible and hasn’t yet come forward to get a booster jab as soon as possible, by booking online or by visiting one of the local walk-in sites.
Booster vaccine doses are available on the NHS for people most at risk from COVID-19 who have had a 2nd dose of a vaccine at least 6 months ago. This includes:
- people aged 50 and over
- people who live and work in care homes
- frontline health and social care workers
- people aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19
- people aged 16 and over who are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19
- people aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)
People who are pregnant and in one of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.
The JCVI have advised that individuals who are severely immunosuppressed get an additional third dose of vaccine as part of their primary course of immunisation. This offer is separate to the booster programme.
