The UK announced on Tuesday that it will offer a third dose of coronavirus vaccine to all over the age of 50 and other vulnerable people to help the country emerge from the pandemic during the winter months.
The booster shots, which will be launched starting next week, were approved a day after the Conservative government also backed plans to offer a vaccine dose to children aged 12-15.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Vaccination, which advises the government, recommended that reinforcements be offered to anyone over the age of 50, to health workers, to people with underlying health conditions, and to people living with people with a compromised immune system. It will be given no later than six months after a person receives their second dose of vaccine.
About 30 million people will be eligible for reinforcement shots, which aim to protect themselves against a modest decline in immunity among those who have received two blows.
“The result of this vaccination campaign is that we have one of the freest societies and one of the most open economies in Europe,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday. “That’s why we are now continuing with our strategy.”
Although the number of people now taking Covid-19 is much higher than last year (more than 30,000 new infections a day), the British government has chosen not to reintroduce more virus restrictions in England. since the reduction in the vaccine this year has reduced the number of people who need treatment for Covid and subsequently die.
However, Johnson said the government was willing to reintroduce measures over the next few weeks and months if pressure on hospitals becomes acute. The number of people in UK hospitals with Covid stands at around 8,500, well below the nearly 40,000 who were hospitalized earlier this year during a catastrophic second wave of pandemic.
Measures taken at the reserve include the mandatory use of masks, vaccine certifications for nightclubs and other large-scale events, even if they are not pubs, and a requirement for people to work from home.
“When you have a large proportion, such as with immunity, smaller changes can make a bigger difference and give us the confidence that we don’t have to go back to past blockages,” Johnson said. . “In the meantime, we are confident in the vaccines that have changed our lives so much.”
For full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic
The JCVI said the Pfizer vaccine should be the primary choice for booster vaccines, with a half-dose of Moderna as an alternative. These messenger RNA vaccines were said to be more effective as booster shots. The AstraZeneca vaccine, which is based on a different technology, will be offered to anyone who is unable to receive an mRNA vaccine for clinical reasons.
The decision to offer booster shots is not the one recommended by the World Health Organization, which has called on rich countries to delay their distribution until each country has vaccinated at least 40% of its population. Only a few other rich countries have recommended its use. In the United States, the FDA is publicly debating booster shots later this week.
The English chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said it was very important for developing countries to receive the blows they needed, but noted the difficulties in transporting the Pfizer vaccine, which has a relatively short shelf life and should be maintained. at very cold temperatures.
Whitty said there is a “substantially lower” risk of being admitted to a hospital with Covid if someone is vaccinated compared to those who are not. He said someone unvaccinated for 30 years runs the same level of risk as a vaccinated 70-year-old.
“One of the most depressing things for doctors, myself included, is talking to people who just chose not to get vaccinated because it wasn’t convenient at that particular time. And you see them driving in intensive care and you know it was a problem. very serious because they were not vaccinated, ”he said.
Whitty also pointed to those who spread misinformation about the vaccines after being asked about the comments of rapper Nicki Minaj. The singer indicated in a series of tweets that she could have hired Covid, but said she would not be pressured to get a vaccine for the Met Gala, which she did not attend. She tweeted Monday that the New York event required guests to be nailed and also shared an unproven story about the risks and impotence of vaccines.
“There are a number of myths that fly, some of which are clearly ridiculous and some of which are designed to scare,” Whitty said. “That’s one of them. That’s false.”
Whitty said people who “sold fakes” to deter others from getting the vaccine should “be ashamed” of themselves.
Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter And Facebook