Get Boosted Now. Vaccines have saved countless lives and continue to be one of our best weapons against COVID-19. The latest data shows booster is the key to protecting us and the NHS against the Omicron variant. Booster vaccines are now offered to all UK adults (18+) before the New Year – this is a national mission so when you are eligible, get your jab Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP has today called on every eligible adult to get a booster vaccination, backing the national mission to Get Boosted Now.
With the Omicron variant spreading fast, it is vital that those eligible get their booster as soon as they can to help keep ourselves, friends and loved ones safe. The latest preliminary data has shown vaccine efficacy against symptomatic infection is substantially reduced against Omicron with just 2 doses, but a booster pushes protection back up to over 70%, showing how vital the top-up jab is to bolster immunity.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP said,
“We’re in a race between the virus and the vaccine. Boosters are the best protection against the variant, which is why it’s never been more important to come forward and Get Boosted Now.
“The NHS, our GPs, our pharmacists, the military and an army of volunteers are playing their part, working flat out to deliver jabs, save lives and ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed this winter with an influx of Omicron cases.
“Today I’m encouraging you to step forward and play yours. If you’re over 18 and had your second jab at least three months ago, then you can get boosted right now – and its vital that you do.”
Every eligible adult in the country is now being urged to book their booster as soon as possible. The first and second doses remain available. The UK has the fastest booster rollout in Europe, with over 28 million people having received their boosters so far but to stay ahead in this race against the virus, every adult should get boosted and strengthen their protection as soon as they are able to. #GetBoostedNow Ends
How you can help – resources
Volunteer to vaccinate The NHS continues to partner with St John Ambulance and the Royal Voluntary Service, which runs the NHS Volunteer Responder programme, to help coordinate the training and deployment of thousands of volunteers who can help ensure the safe and smooth running of vaccination services.
St John Ambulance is currently working through its networks to mobilise and reengage existing vaccination volunteers. If you’re an existing volunteer, you will be contacted by the re-engagement programme or you can reach out to your volunteering lead.
If you’re new to St John Ambulance you can find out more on the St John Ambulance website.
NHS Volunteer Responders, a partnership between the NHS, Royal Voluntary Service and GoodSAM, is currently recruiting to up to 30,000 additional steward volunteer roles. Opportunities also remain available for members of the public who are able to support their neighbours and the NHS through a number of different roles – including food or medication deliveries, lifts to medical appointments or ‘check-in and chat’ phone calls. If you are interested in these roles you can find out more at the NHS Volunteer Responder website.
Many local NHS services are also using their own volunteer schemes, and you can check their websites for details.
https://www.ghc.nhs.uk/volunteer/
Get your booster – resources
Find a walk-in centre in your area If you live in England, you can use the NHS website service to find a walk-in coronavirus (COVID19) vaccination site. You can get a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from a walk-in site without an appointment – and you don’t need to be registered with a GP.
Covid Booster Q&A
Q. COVID BOOSTERS Why is the COVID-19 booster programme needed?
A. We want to provide the people with the best possible protection this Winter. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has reviewed the available data and advised that booster jabs are offered in order to maintain protection from COVID-19 throughout the Winter months, and to protect the NHS.
The recent advice from the expert JCVI to expand the booster programme to include all adults (18+), with a minimum of three months between their primary doses and their booster, was offered in response to the emergence of the Omicron variant, to ensure those eligible receive the best possible protection.
Q. What research supports the change to the boosters programme?
A. Early research from UKHSA looked at 581 people with confirmed Omicron. It showed that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines provided much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta. However, the preliminary data showed effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose, providing around 70 to 75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection.
This data on the impact of vaccines on Omicron formed part of the evidence to support the acceleration of the booster programme to offer all adults (18+) a booster before the end of the year. How soon after a second dose will a booster be offered? The JCVI advises that the booster vaccine dose is offered no earlier than three months after completion of the primary vaccine course (your second dose).
Q. Who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster?
A. The JCVI advises that everyone over the age of 18 is eligible for a booster. As 16- to 17-year-olds will only have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in late summer or early autumn, the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered at a later time when more information is available.
Q. Where will booster vaccine appointments be available?
A. The vaccine is currently being delivered from a range of settings – such as walk-in and mobile vaccination sites – to make accessing the vaccination offer as convenient as possible. As with the Phase 1 and 2 roll-out, booster jabs will be available at a range of locations.
Primary care teams will vaccinate care home staff and residents. Health and social care staff will be directed to book their appointments through employers, and members of the public will be invited to get their booster through a GP-led service and/or be contacted by the NHS to book through the national COVID-19 vaccination booking service to get their vaccination in a designated pharmacy, vaccination centre or GP-led service.
Q. How will those eligible be invited/notified of their access to a COVID-19 booster?
A. There will be a range of national and local communications and marketing across a range of channels to make people aware that they are eligible for vaccination. This includes direct communication to eligible people locally and nationally including texts messages and letters.
Health and social care staff will be directed to book their appointments through employers and members of the public will be invited to get their booster through a GP-led service and/or be contacted by the NHS to book through the national COVID-19 vaccination booking service to get their vaccination in a designated pharmacy, vaccination centre or GP-led service.
Q. Which vaccine will be administered during the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme?
A. Those eligible will be offered a booster dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine. If for any reason you are not able to have one of those vaccines, you will be offered a dose of AstraZeneca (if you received this vaccine in your primary course).
All of these vaccines are safe and highly effective, and the NHS will ensure you are offered a vaccine suitable for you.
Q.Why didn't this Government go faster and earlier with boosters?
A. We are boosting at a faster rate than any other country, and our programme is the most successful in Europe. JCVI had already been considering its advice on the extension of the UK COVID-19 vaccination programme. This process was expedited and reviewed in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant.
On 29 November, the government accepted advice from the JCVI to expand the booster vaccine programme. The overall intention of the measures is to accelerate the deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and raise levels of protection across the population to provide additional protection as we come to better understand the risks posed by the Omicron variant.
We are now taking major steps to give everyone the chance to get a booster by the New Year and Getting boosted now is more important than ever. Early UKHSA analysis of UK Omicron and Delta cases showed the vaccines were less effective at stopping the new variant. However, a third dose prevents around 75% of people getting any Covid symptoms.