NOT all Brits will get booster jabs when the rollout begins next month, it has been reported.
Plans to get over-50s the extra shot are said to be “on hold”, as experts think only the most vulnerable should be on the list.
Earlier in the summer plans were drawn up for millions to get an extra vaccination in the winter, but now the numbers could be far lower.
However, sources said everything is still in discussion, with the recommendation potentially taking weeks.
It comes after new statistics showed 95 per cent now have vital antibodies.
The NHS had been gearing up to start a rollout of third vaccines from September but healthy adults could be left off the list, with only those at risk getting another.
Advisers on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) met yesterday.
JCVI member Professor Adam Finn said: “I think we’ll be imminently deciding there will be some people who need a third dose, particularly people we know are very unlikely to be well protected by those first two.
“I think it’s less clear whether a third dose, in a more general way, for all people above a certain age, is really going to make much difference.”
But officials told the PA news agency that boosters had not been discussed at the meeting, although they would not confirm what was spoken about.
Around 78 per cent of adults in the UK are double-jabbed and 94 per cent in England have virus-fighting antibodies, according to the Office for National Statistics.
A study by the ONS and Oxford University found two vaccines stop three quarters of infections and are “super-effective” at keeping people out of hospital.
Jabs work so well that two look set to be enough for most people in the UK for now – although more may be needed in 2022, with scientists unsure how long immunity will last.
Prof Finn said advisers want more evidence before deciding whether healthy people should get extra jabs, warning it may not be worth a “very marginal benefit”.
Sources said a “far more restricted group” would be targeted instead, as further evidence was needed to support a booster dose for that age group.
Dr Simon Clarke, from the University of Reading, added: “I think the priority groups down to age 50 are most likely to get it, though it’s still a possibility younger adults will, too.
“Some evidence shows the longer ago you had your jabs the more likely you are to get infected today, so it makes sense to go in the same order again.
“People in their 40s didn’t get second doses until June so there wouldn’t be much point getting another now.”
Health Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed a booster rollout would start in September, but added he was waiting for a “final opinion” from the JCVI.
During a visit to open a hospital in Carlisle, he said: “We are going to have a booster scheme, it will start sometime in September.
“I couldn’t tell you exactly when because before we start it, as people would expect, we need to get the final advice from our group of experts, our independent scientific and medical advisers.
“So, we’re waiting for their final opinion and, looking at everything and the timing of that.
“I’m confident that we can start in September when we will start with the most vulnerable cohorts and start offering that third jab.”
Source: The Sun
