Boris Johnson today warned that too many Britons with double jabbed skin are currently being treated with Covid and urged everyone to get booster doses.
He said the protection offered by the first two jabs — which wanes after six months — is leading to ‘too many elderly people getting into hospital’.
The Prime Minister stated that the 10million boosters distributed so far have proven to be’very effective’, and provide 95% more protection than just two doses.
Mr Johnson urged everyone eligible — including over-50s, health workers and those with underlying conditions — to come forward for the jab six months after the second dose.
Today, a well-known Government adviser suggested that boosters may be necessary every winter.
Nadhim Zahawi, a former vaccine tsar, also suggested that annual jabs might be necessary as the virus progresses to the background and becomes an epidemic in the UK.
Other experts believe that Covid could one day disappear into the background, so a continuous cycle of boosters may not be necessary.
With millions of Britons in need, the slow-moving booster rollout is already in disarray. Ministers have blamed low participation on failure to bring forward people.
However, elderly patients claim they can’t book appointments by phone or know how to use the internet system.
Ministers tried to accelerate the rollout today by allowing individuals to book their jab one month prior to becoming eligible.
Boris Johnson (pictured today at Hexham General Hospital with Marion Dickson, an executive director for Northumbria Healthcare) said the protection offered by the first two jabs — which wanes after six months — is leading to ‘too many elderly people getting into hospital’
Below is a graph showing the speed of current booster drives. It shows how many doses are being given each day (yellow bars), and the total amount administered (green lines). To protect millions of adults who are vulnerable, there is a need to accelerate the pace.
“Shambles”: Patients protest against the third-dose rollout
Brian Bull, left, 83; and Jennifer Hodgkinson(right), 79 have still not received their boosters due to confusing instructions on NHS.
Because of the confusing instructions posted on the NHS website, Brian Bull and Jennifer have still not received their boosters.
Mr Bull (83), has been scheduled for his jab nearly one month ago, but is turned away each time he makes it to the Appleby clinic, Cumbria.
He said, “The NHS website stated that there was a Penrith walk-in center.” The receptionist told us nothing after we drove 14 miles.
They were directed towards a rugby club, however they weren’t having sessions on that day.
He said, “We see so many ads from the NHS telling people to get their boosters. But it is very difficult to do it.”
The rollout of the booster has been a’shambles,’ said a former police officer who had to travel to West Yorkshire GPs to order his booster.
Keith Woodland, aged 74, has an irregular heartbeat and was not able to book. He received a NHS text instructing him to receive a third vaccine.
“After calling 119, I tried again, but the system was down.” The surgery may have misunderstood my details.
It was a mess. All these senior politicians who say people aren’t booking jabs – when we can’t do it anyway.’
Speaking today during a visit to a Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, Mr Johnson said: ‘I’m here to look at what we’re doing to encourage people to get their booster jabs and that is the single most important thing that the Government can do at the present time.
“Unfortunately, you have a situation where the declining of the two original jabs is beginning to lead to too many older people being admitted into hospitals.
“Sadly, jabs can wane. It’s very efficient and we’ve already done over 10 million booster jabs.
“It’s wonderful, people get 95% more protection. I encourage everyone to book online, even if they’ve been gone for over 5 months.
Currently, anyone who is eligible can make a booking for their booster jabs starting five months following their first dose. They can also book an appointment by the six-month mark.
Experts believe this to be the “sweet spot” for increasing immune response against the virus. This is because protection from the jabs wanes.
However, the vaccine industry has turned its attention to developing new jabs with variant resistance that are less effective than current ones.
When asked if he would listen to calls by some officials in public health regarding the urgent need for action on this issue, Johnson stated that he was often given ‘different scientific advice’ and that different scientists can say different things. He also said, “We study the data every single day. We have meetings with NHS chiefs every other day.”
He added: ‘The key thing you want to do is to reduce those pressures, which are building, on the A&Es, on beds, by encouraging people, particularly the over-50s, to come forward and get your booster jab.’
Some medics, scientists and Labour last month called for the Government to move to Plan B — implementing mandatory face masks, work from home guidance and vaccine passports — to bring infections, hospitalisations and deaths down.
However, ministers refused to make the calls. With cases trending downwards in the last two weeks and some experts saying that the year has seen a peak of cases, some modellers believe the case count may have reached its maximum.
But there are calls for the booster rollout — a key part of Plan A, along with the vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds — to be sped up.
Every day 300,000 boosters will be distributed. But, there are calls to 500,000 daily for additional doses. This ensures that people can remain safe in advance of the holiday season.
Meanwhile, Dr Mike Tildesley, who sits on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M) — an influential sub-committee of SAGE, told Sky News today people may need extra shots every year.
Dr Mike Tildesley stated that boosters can be introduced every year.
He said that the booster programme is moving in the right direction but still had work to do with older adults and those who are vulnerable.
He said that immunity would start to decline after the second jab. It is therefore crucial that the acceleration continue and that we protect as many people as possible during the winter months.
He said that the UK would not be locked down this winter when he was asked about it.
He said that other measures may be necessary if the immunity isn’t good across all of society.
“I hope that with a very effective vaccination campaign, I would hope that the idea for a winter lockdown will be a far away.
Today, ministers opened their appointments early so that people could book their third dose of medication before becoming eligible. This morning, there was a queue of five minutes
“But, it’s certain that we need further steps if there is not good immunity in the population.
“So, it is really important that people come forward when they are eligible to receive those booster jabs.
SAGE adviser Peter Openshaw on New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Groups (NERVTAG), stated that boosters are needed because the situation is’very clear.
He told Times Radio: ‘We don’t know how long a vaccine is going to last until we’ve had sufficient time to watch the immunity drifting downwards and I think that’s something which has become very clear recently is that these vaccines don’t appear to be forever – they do provide a lot of protection, but they have to be boosted.’
However, Professor James Naismith from the Rosalind Franklin institute and an Oxford University biologist suggested that boosters are not necessary because Covid is so mild.
He said that he believed it, echoing the predictions of many experts. [Covid]As a severe disease, it will quickly disappear from the scene.
A third dose of Covid is available to more than 30 million over-50s and vulnerable adults as well as health care and social workers.
After having their second child, they can only bring one forward for six months.
They were required to wait for confirmation from the NHS that they were eligible before they could receive a call or a letter.
The Department of Health has confirmed that patients can book their third dose one month ahead of time.
People may also call 119 for a booking or stop by one of hundreds of walking-in centers across the country to make an appointment.
Official figures indicate that 10 million booster shots were already given, while official statistics show that 16 million had received their second jab six months prior.
At current 300,000 boosters will still be distributed every day. This means that nearly 10million vulnerable Britons won’t have protection during the holiday period.
Currently, there are no plans for the expansion of this rollout to younger age group or repeating it next year.
The Labour party addressed Sajid Javid from Health to alert him last night that the wall of defense has been allowed to fall, putting the country at serious risk.
The parents are calling on the government to take immediate measures to increase booster jabs for children and adults. They also call upon retired nurses and volunteers to be recalled and community pharmacists to be used more often.
Yesterday, over 50s reported that they spent hours calling GPs to try to obtain appointments. One woman only managed to make it through after her 92nd attempt.
It is not just red tape that hinders the roll out. A 94-year old woman from Hemel Hempstead was refused entry to a Jab Centre in Hemel Hempstead because she arrived too early.
Patients are encouraged to make use of the NHS Walk-In Locator to locate their closest centre within 10 miles.
Some people have received warnings that they will need to travel hundreds of miles in order to receive their vaccinations. Many GP practices and pharmacies don’t offer the necessary top-up jabs.
According to the NHS, pensioners in Kent living on the Isle of Sheppey were told by their doctor to drive 128 miles round trip to Southend in Essex to get their third dose. The local supply centers are not having enough.
Members of Parliament are bombarded daily with calls for their assistance.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary wrote to Mr Javid: “Nobody wants any more Boris Johnson lockdowns. Ministers need to grasp the stumbling vaccine programme.”
It took a while for the booster campaign to take off, with the third doses being given to immunocompromised people branded “chaotic” and pockets in the country where the rates of the second dose are worryingly below the average.
The wall of defense has been weakened by the complacency of Tory politicians.
Spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care stated that they are moving fast to boost people and their vaccination program is showing great results.