Hopes were raised last night that Britain could avoid a winter health crisis as data from Israel shows booster jabs can significantly reduce cases and hospitalisations.
The country, which has been a leader in vaccinations, introduced boosters when immunity from the initial two jabs began waning in the summer.
A third shot has been given to almost half of the population. Hospitalisations dropped by half last week compared with the previous month.
The country, which has been a leader in vaccinations, introduced boosters when immunity from the initial two jabs began waning in the summer.
Cases also dropped to 1,200 – around five times lower than in September.
It will be a welcome news for Health Secretary Sajid Javid who is increasing efforts in order to boost the booster program.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive at the NHS, revealed yesterday that Saturday was the busiest for Covid booster jabs with more than 325,000 patients receiving their third dose.
Nearly half of the population has been given a third shot, and hospitalisations have halved in the last week compared to the month before.
There were hope last night that Britain could avoid a winter-related health crisis. According to data from Israel, booster jabs can significantly lower hospitalisations and cases.
However, the rate of people taking up booster doses has been slow. The only people who are eligible at the moment are those over 50 and those with immunocompromised.
Patients will need to wait six months for their next dose. In an effort to speed up the process, NHS chiefs will allow eligible patients to book their third jab one month earlier.
Yesterday’s figures reveal that Covid has killed 72 people and there are now 39,962 more cases.
Meanwhile, Mr Javid is looking to make getting the jab a ‘condition of employment’ for NHS staff – but there are fears it could spark a backlash.
The Department of Health said those eligible for a booster ‘should book as soon as they are invited’. It also stated that England has administered over 5million booster jabs.