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U.K. Offers Booster Shots to those over 50 and those vulnerable to COVID-19
By Mal O’Connell
LONDON, U.K. (mocsnews.com) – The U.K. announced on Tuesday that booster shots will be available to those aged 50 or older, as well as those most susceptible to COVID-19, to aid the U.K. through the pandemic during the winter months.
The booster shots had been approved shortly after the government had approved the plans to offer one dose vaccinations to children aged 12-15.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, an advisory board to the Government on such matters, recommended that healthcare workers are to be eligible for the booster shot given no earlier than six months after the secondary dose of the vaccine. Those aged over 50, those with underlying health conditions and those with compromised immune systems are also eligible.
(Via AP Newsroom: Chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization Professor Wei Shen Lim (left), Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Britain Jonathan Van-Tam and Chief Executive of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) June Raine (right) attend a media briefing on the latest COVID-19 update on September 14, 2021)
About 30 million U.K. citizens will be eligible for the booster shots that will provide extra protection against a waning immunity in the second dose of the vaccine.
“The result of this vaccination campaign is we have one of the most free societies and one of the most open economies in Europe,” stated Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “That’s why we’re now sticking with our strategy.”
(Via AP Newsroom: Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a media briefing on September 14, 2021).
The infection rate of the virus in England rises to 30,000 new cases per day, much higher than the previous year. The British Government has chosen to not introduce any new virus restrictions for England due to the success and progression of vaccine drives across the U.K.
The decision to provide booster shots to citizens is not under the approval or direction of the World Health Organization, which advises every wealthy country to avoid the distribution of such boosters until 40% of every country has been vaccinated. The FDA in the United States also has plans on a public debate on the booster shots in the next coming weeks.
“When you’ve got a large proportion, as we have now, with immunity, then smaller changes can make a bigger difference and give us the confidence that we don’t have to go back to the lockdowns of the past,” stated Johnson. “In the meantime, we are confident in the vaccines that have made such a difference to our lives.”
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Mal O’Connell Contributed from Chattanooga.
