It was disclosed today that Covid boosters for under-40s have been given in contravention of NHS guidelines.

However, there has been a lot of pressure on officials to start welcoming younger adults to the party.  

The scheme involved GPs texting 30-somethings to invite them to schedule appointments. Some say they could get appointments in as little as 36 hours. 

Only over-40s are currently able to use the online booking platform to book a top up jab. But plans are under way to open the programme to all adults by next week.   

Even if you are not eligible to book, anyone who has had their first jab 3 months ago may be eligible for a walk-in booster. Even if they were not vaccinated for six months, those who have been vaccinated again will be allowed to visit the usual channels regardless of age. 

Online bookings were only open to adults over 40 this week. Many eligible adults have been turned away despite having booked a top-up jab due to a communication blunder.  

The NHS’s top brass launched a crackdown last night to take control of the scheme.  

William Campbell from Gateshead was one of those who got his Covid booster yesterday

William Campbell of Gateshead received his Covid booster today

Massive queues at jabbing centres  yesterday came alongside reports that some Britons who booked their booster appointment online are being turned away by staff telling them they need to wait six months between jabs, despite the NHS saying the wait is now three months

Massive queues at jabbing centres  yesterday came alongside reports that some Britons who booked their booster appointment online are being turned away by staff telling them they need to wait six months between jabs, despite the NHS saying the wait is now three months

While the NHS does not invite the under-40s yet to get a Covid booster from the NHS, they are prioritizing the jabs based upon the clinical risk of Covid. The older group is considered more at-risk for an infection. 

There are some concerns that younger people might be chosen ahead of an older person, but experts argue it is safer and will increase immunity. 

Under the three-month rule, 8 million under-40s can be eligible for boosters 

Experts demand that the booster drive be rescheduled to allow more double-jabbed people in England. MailOnline reported that 8 million under-40s might get boosters today, and that the NHS could book them a jab. 

The total number of 8.2 million people between 18 and 39 years old got their second jab on September 1. This means that they were able to receive a booster after a three month wait.  

The NHS still issues formal invitations to all patients. This is so that people who were vaccinated early can continue their protection. All over the country, walk-in clinics can be found.

However, critics claim that opening the online booking portal for those under 40 would speed up the process. 

Nearly 18million adults in England are eligible to receive a booster, regardless of their age, under the three-month waiting period for jabs. 

According to NHS data, approximately 36 per cent of the population in England have received a Covid booster, but this varies widely across age demographics. 

People aged between 70-79 were the most likely to receive their booster, with 86 per cent having done so as of December 8, based on National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) population estimates used by the NHS. 

In terms of sheer numbers of boosters, the 60-69 age demographic recorded the most, with 4,398,841 third jabs as of yesterday, but this is only 68 per cent of this group. 

 

 

Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, told The Guardian: ‘While the NHS’s focus remains on offering boosters to eligible people aged over 40 before the national booking system opens up more widely next week, we are aware that some primary care sites have begun to offer boosters to eligible people aged under 40 where they have spare appointments that have not been filled by the current cohorts and where they have sufficient vaccine stock.

“The National Guidance on the Difference Between Doses is Clear” and people are advised to wait until they contact the NHS before getting their booster shots.

The Royal College of GPs chair Professor Martin Marshall supported the decision and suggested that family physicians could trust to provide vaccines for younger patients if necessary. 

He said, “We have to put as many jabs as we can into as many arm as fast as possible,” 

‘It’s important that at-risk groups are prioritised so people should wait to be contacted before trying to book their booster.

‘However, it’s possible that some regions will be going at a quicker pace than others for varying reasons to do with capacity and workload and GPs will use their judgment in the best interests of their patients and the wider public’s health.

‘GPs and their teams are working incredibly hard to deliver the vaccination programme, as well as continuing to deliver essential care and services to patients, and we’d urge anyone who is offered the booster to have it.’

Covid vaccinations are not new to the younger age groups. 

Similar events occurred in the first vaccine rollout. These were usually at walk-in centers and where local providers had excess supply. 

Following the recent fiasco with the booster campaign, NHS bosses took a stern stance against the chaos surrounding the booster jab. They ordered clinics not to turn away any eligible Britons.  

Numerous people have complained via social media about being wrongly sent off after they booked their appointments online.

According to them, they were told that certain clinics could not give out jabs due to outdated guidance. This was despite the fact boosters are now available after only three months.  

Representatives from NHS said that sites should first vaccinate the most vulnerable to coronavirus according to JCVI guidelines. At present, this includes people over 40 years old, along with those in need of healthcare and workers.

It is important to note that anyone who makes an appointment for a booster and has not been turned down should do so. Individuals over 40 can also get their booster at the walk-in centre if they are less than three months post their last dose. 

The current rate of the booster rollout means Britain will miss the deadline to offer every eligible adult a Covid booster shot by the end January, instead hitting this target by 10 February

Britain won’t be offering every eligible adult Covid booster shots by January 31st due to the current pace of booster rollout. This means they will instead miss this deadline by February 10th.

According to NHS data, many older age groups who have been eligible to get a Covid booster since September still have double digit percentage figures of people who are yet to get a third dose. Yesterday, the NHS online booking system for Covid boosters was opened up to the over 40s. 81 per cent of people aged 40-to-49 have yet to have a booster.

NHS data shows that many people over 40 who were eligible for a Covid booster in September are still at double the rate of those who cannot get another dose. The NHS opened yesterday the online ordering system for Covid boosters to people over 40. 81% of the people between 40-50 have never had a booster. 

The majority of over 40s in got their second Covid vaccine by early July with most people aged 30-to-39 getting their second jab by the end of August. This means there are millions of people who are now eligible for a booster

Over 40s received the second Covid vaccine in July. Most 30- to 39-year-olds got their second Covid shot by July. Millions of people are eligible now for boosters.

The vast majority of adults and people over 16-years-old have now received their first Covid jab, and the proportion of children aged between 12-to-15 who have got their first vaccine is approaching 50 per cent

A large majority of people aged 16 and older have received their Covid jabs. The proportion of kids between 12 and 15 years old who have had their first vaccination is close to 50%

The latest blow to the beleaguered booster drive came after experts demanded Boris Johnson throw the ‘kitchen sink’ at the rollout.

MailOnline’s analysis shows that 8 million under-40s could have their 2nd jab within the last three months.    

Why is the booster campaign so slow? 

Covid’s booster campaign for Covid hasn’t seen as much success since its launch in September. 

The reason is that there are far fewer facilities and staff involved in the booster campaigns than in earlier years’ vaccine efforts.

Larger teams of GPs and pharmacists have replaced mass vaccination centres.  

And despite minister urging people to come forward when they were eligible  people seeking boosters have reported struggling to book jabs or being given appointment slots at inconvenient times or distant locations. 

People also report being refused appointments for boosters due to conflictsing guidance. Staff at certain vaccine centres are still using old guidelines, which required that patients wait six months between each dose. According to current guidelines, the waiting time is now only three months. 

In the current rollout, there is no concern about vaccine shortages. 

UK hopes to avoid a devastating Omicron wave. The controversial “Plan B” restrictions that were introduced earlier in the week by the Prime Minister meant to allow as many people as possible to receive an additional jab.  

The announcement of new restrictions, such as working from home guidance, compulsory mask orders, came as studies suggested a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine — which Britain’s roll-out is reliant on — was able to offer people people substantial protection from Omicron. 

Britain’s booster program began with older people in September. It was initiated after it became apparent that the protection provided by vaccines had waned six months following the last dose.

It was intended to provide additional protection for people ahead of what was expected to be a challenging winter for NHS. 

No10 pledged, in Omicron’s face, to boost all 53 million adults in the UK and increase the number of jabs given to 500,000 every day.  

Although the booster campaign was launched with great enthusiasm, it has failed to accelerate the ramp up.

However, statistics show that it performed worse some days than it did before ministers made promises to inject it with steroids. It is currently at 386,000/day. 

Critics believe that allowing under-40s to book online would speed up the process. 

Matthew Lesh, Head of Research at Adam Smith Institute, the thinktank described the booster campaign to be the best way for the UK to fight Omicron. He also argued that the restrictions on ‘Plan B’ won’t stop the rising tide.  

He said that failure to expedite the booster programme would lead to loss of life and destruction of livelihoods.

The new restrictions and guidelines are set to cause economic damage in the billions.

“It is a simple matter of course to get boosters in arms as soon as possible. It is essential that we have a national war effort. 

He said: “The booking system should be open to all ages, as the Prime Minister stated would happen weeks back. 

The above map shows the ten areas that have the most confirmed Omicron cases in England, according to the UK Health Security Agency. West Northamptonshire is the country's hotspot for the mutant strain, although eight in ten areas on the list are in London

According to the UK Health Security Agency, the map above shows the top ten locations with the highest number of Omicron-related cases. West Northamptonshire has been identified as the hotspot of Omicron strains in England. However, London is home to eight out of ten.

“Anyone who has been receiving their first dose for more than three months should have immediate access to a second one. It’s not a matter of supply, but logistics. And it can all be done.

Others, however, cautioned against such an action. They stated that although the booster campaign was necessary, it would cause chaos and the country should prioritise the people whose immunity is waning. 

Dr Simon Clarke is a University of Reading cellular microbiologist. He said, “The government could open up the door to the booster program for adults, allowing people with weakened immunity to take their place.

“It is better to follow the gradual release boosters but work your way through each age group as fast as you can.   

How do the Covid rules change in England?

WFH

Guidance on returning to work at home. The guidance will tell people to return to England to work starting Monday, if possible.

Facial maskYou can find it here 

Starting Friday, all public indoor venues will require facemasks. In bars, restaurants, and gyms they will not be needed.

Vaccine passports 

To gain entry to large nightclubs or other venues that host large numbers of people, the NHS Covid card is mandatory. 

All unseated indoor venues that have more than 500 guests, all outdoor unseated venues with over 4,000 attendees and venues that hold more than 10,000 persons will be subject to this rule. 

One dose of each vaccine will be given to a child who is fully vaccinated. This will still be monitored by the booster program. 

Also, a negative lateral flow test is sufficient. 

Businesses will have time to prepare for this change. 

Get in touch 

Omicron case contacts will be asked to submit daily coronavirus test results, rather than self-isolating. If positive they must be placed in quarantine.