Millions of over-50s could be given THIRD Covid jab from September

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Tens of millions of Britons could be offered a third Covid jab in as little as two months under fresh guidance issued by No10’s top advisers tonight.

The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) said the booster scheme may start in September and could see 23million over-50s, vulnerable Britons and NHS and care home staff offered another dose.

Extra vaccines would be rolled out in two stages — prioritising those most at risk of Covid — with patients offered whichever jab they were originally inoculated with.

It will coincide with the annual influenza inoculation programme, which health officials say will be vital this winter amid warnings of a difficult flu season.

The interim advice has been drawn up to ensure the NHS is prepared for any possible booster campaign in the autumn, while officials await more data on whether a third jab will be needed. 

Ministers are expected to make a decision on whether to go ahead with the programme in the coming weeks.

Newly appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he ‘welcomed’ the new guidance, which could ‘help us ensure we are ready in our preparations for autumn’.

And Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said it would keep Britain on the ‘front foot’ in the fight against Covid.

JCVI sources said data suggested Covid jabs spark immunity that lasts for at least six months in the ‘majority’ of cases, but there are fears this could fade later in the year which could trigger a spike in hospitalisations and deaths.

An Oxford University trial looking at booster doses suggested a third shot six months after the second could restore peak immunity against Covid.

It comes after Professor Chris Whitty reportedly told a Cabinet meeting yesterday that England is on course to lift the remaining Covid restrictions on July 19 ‘Freedom Day’. And Boris Johnson sounded increasingly bullish that restrictions would be lifted as planned at PMQs today saying Britain has ‘a higher wall of vaccination than virtually any other country in the world’.

The UK today recorded more than 20,000 cases for the third day in a row, but deaths from the virus continued to drop in a sure sign the vaccines are working. But scientists today warned England could face a spike in Covid cases in the coming weeks because of the Three Lions’ success at the Euro 2020s, although this is not expected to translate into a surge in hospitalisations and deaths.

Just one in 100 NHS beds were being taken up by Covid patients in England last week — fourteen times fewer than at the start of the second wave, according to official figures highlighting the power of the vaccines.

The JCVI interim guidance published today sets out a booster programme that would proceed in two stages from September.

In the first part, more than 15million over-70s, care home residents and NHS and care home workers would be offered a third jab. And in the second stage this would be expanded to more than 17million over-50s and those who live with people who are vulnerable to the virus.

There are no plans to offer third jabs to younger age groups this winter because most will only have received their second dose by the end of summer, meaning they are likely to still have high antibody levels to combat the virus.

Over-30s were invited for their second doses on June 7, with over-18s also asked to come forward almost two weeks later. There is a gap of at least eight days between doses. 

NHS chiefs are already preparing for the programme to ensure they have enough jabs available should ministers give the green light to the plans. 

At least four other countries including the US are also considering booster programmes, but they are also yet to make a decision.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, the JCVI’s Covid chairman, said: ‘The JCVI’s interim advice is that, should a booster programme be required, a third Covid-19 vaccine dose should be offered to the most vulnerable first, starting from September 2021 to maximise individual protection and safeguard the NHS ahead of winter.

‘Almost all these people would also be eligible for the annual flu vaccine and are strongly advised to have the flu vaccine.

‘We will continue to review emerging scientific data over the next few months, including data relating to the duration of immunity from the current vaccines.’

He added that their final advice on the booster programme ‘may change substantially’. 

Professor Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said scientists aimed to be on the ‘front foot’ in the fight against Covid. 

He said: ‘We want to be on the front foot for Covid booster vaccination to keep the probability of loss of vaccine protection due to waning immunity or variants as low as possible. Especially over the coming autumn and winter.

He also called on Britons to get their flu jabs, adding: ‘Fewer or no restrictions will mean that other respiratory viruses, particularly flu, will make a comeback and quite possibly be an additional problem this winter.

‘So we will need to ensure protection against flu as well as maintaining protection against Covid. 

Newly appointed Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: ‘We welcome this interim advice, which will help us ensure we are ready in our preparations for autumn. We look forward to receiving the committee’s final advice in due course.

‘Our first Covid-19 vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country, and our booster programme will protect this freedom.

‘We are working with the NHS to make sure we can rapidly deliver this programme to maintain protection for people in the winter months.’

Dr David Elliman, a consultant in child health who is not on the JCVI, warned that the JCVI advice could change substantially before September.

‘The advice seems very sensible IF we are going to offer boosters to all adults,’ he told the Science Media Centre. 

‘However, that begs the question as to whether they are needed and, if so, should they be given. 

‘At the moment there is little clinical or laboratory evidence that boosters are needed and JCVI has understandably not committed itself yet. 

‘If a booster is needed, exactly how much benefit would it give and would it justify the resources?’

Some scientists have called on ministers to shelve plans for a booster programme when large corners of the world are still to be inoculated.

Oxford University’s Professor Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine, called for the scheme to be abandoned this week.

‘At this level of high protection in the UK, to give third doses now when others do not have first doses is not acceptable,’ he said. ‘We need to make sure other countries are protected.’

The lead scientist’s latest study found a third dose of the Oxford jab may spark enhanced protection against Covid variants — which could sneak around vaccine-triggered immunity.

Laboratory tests on 90 volunteers — aged 40 on average — found Covid-fighting antibody levels increased ‘significantly’ after the third dose compared to the second.

The researchers also recorded higher levels of T-cells — a type of white blood cell that plays a role in fighting off infections.

Professor Pollard cautioned it was not clear whether higher antibody levels would lead to enhanced protection in the real world. 

Britain secured 60million Pfizer doses in April, which it said would assist with any Covid ‘booster’ programme.