Coronavirus: Spring booster offered to elderly and vulnerable in England

Around 600,000 people in England will be invited to book an additional Covid booster this week, as the NHS launches its spring booster programme.

The jab is being offered to adults over the age of 75, care home residents and the most vulnerable over-12s.

About five million people in the UK will be eligible - with the first invites sent out from Monday.

It comes as Covid cases continue to rise across the UK, with an estimated one in every 20 people infected.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid urged people "to come forward as soon as you are contacted by the NHS".

Up until now, only people with severely weakened immune systems had been eligible to have four jabs - three doses plus a booster.

From Monday, a second booster - to be administered six months after the previous dose - will be offered to:

Local NHS teams will also offer vaccinations in care homes - with hundreds of visits planned in the coming weeks.

Scotland and Wales have already launched their spring booster programmes - under the same terms.. There is currently no confirmed date as to when the extra booster will be given in Northern Ireland, although the government it would happen this spring.

Eligible adults will be offered either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, with those aged between 12-18 offered the Pfizer vaccine.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said efforts to protect the population from coronavirus had not stopped.

"We have protected millions of people at speed, thanks to the efforts of our staff, aided by volunteers. They will once again rise to the next challenge," said Ms Pritchard.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said vaccinating these groups was a "precautionary" move and did not mean there was any current danger to their health.

But because people in these groups are at higher risk from Covid-19, have weaker immune systems than other people and were last vaccinated in September or October 2021, so their protection from vaccines might be waning more quickly.

"We must ensure those at greatest risk of serious illness from Covid are protected and spring boosters will top up people's immunity," said the government's vaccines minister Maggie Throup.

The recent easing of restrictions and waning immunity from vaccines are among the factors believed to be contributing to the rise, with BA.2 - the highly infectious sub-variant of Omicron - now causing most cases.

Hospital cases are also rising, but vaccines are still helping to stop many severe cases, say experts.

Meanwhile the government continues to defend its Living with Covid strategy, lifting all restrictions in England and putting the onus on vaccinations and personal responsibility.

Research by the government estimates that, since mid-December, some 157,000 hospitalisations have been prevented by booster doses, with 32 million top-up jabs given since the rollout began in September 2021.

The NHS said it also continues to offer first, second, and third doses for those who are yet to come forward for their Covid vaccine.