Covid booster jab offered to thousands as variant looms - including over-65s for first time in a year

Thousands more people in the UK will now be offered the latest Covid booster vaccine over fears that immunity levels are waning.

While for the majority of the population Covid is no longer a health concern, for some it can lead to severe symptoms and even be life-threatening.

In April, over-75s were offered another vaccine along with care home residents and those with weakened immune systems.

But the autumn booster, which the NHS has started rolling out this week, will also be offered to those over 65 and healthcare workers, after research suggested these groups now have reduced protection against the virus.

The last time that 65-year-olds were offered a Covid vaccine was 12 months ago.

The announcement comes as experts raised concerns over a new 'rapidly spreading' variant which could lead to a spike in infections and hospitalisations in the coming weeks.

'We currently have a mix of new variants and lack of immunity in the population so the booster is really important this winter,' says Professor Lawrence Young, a virus expert at Warwick University.

'There are already a lot more infections than we would have expected at this point in the year, and this is likely to get worse before the end of the year. That's partly why the Government has expanded the eligibility criteria.'

The latest booster vaccine, which will be available until December, will be the seventh Covid jab for many Britons.

Experts say that, perhaps unsurprisingly, take-up has waned over time, due to what they call 'vaccine fatigue'.

In the spring just over 60 per cent of care home residents were given the jab, down from just under 90 per cent last autumn.

However, Covid is now rising in the UK again. According to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency, cases increased by more than a third in England in just one week.

In the seven days up to September 18, there were 2,213 recorded cases of Covid – an increase of 530 from the week prior.

Over the same time period, there were 1,465 Covid hospitalisations and 89 deaths.

The rise in cases has been put down to a highly transmissible variant called XEC, identified in Germany in June, which is spreading across Europe. NHS England has also warned of a so-called 'tripledemic' of Covid, flu and the respiratory bug RSV this winter.

'The criteria has been expanded from the spring because of waning immunity in the population,' says Professor Peter Openshaw, a vaccine and viral lung disease expert at Imperial College London.

'Boosters would normally be given every six months, but it is now recognised that maximal protection lasts only about four months.'

The latest vaccine was updated this year to combat the most recent variants.

The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, or by calling 119.

Anyone also entitled to the flu jab will be offered this at the same time. Patients will, however, have to book a separate appointment to receive the new RSV vaccine, although experts believe there is no risk to taking all three at the same time.

Some high street chemists and private clinics will also be selling and administering the Pfizer Covid vaccine directly to the public, with a varying cost from £45 to £99.

To qualify for these vaccines you must be aged 12 or over and not have had a Covid jab within the past three months.

Some experts have called on the NHS to lower the age at which it offers a free vaccine.

'The Government really needs to stop messing around with the eligibility criteria and it should be offered to everyone over 50,' says Professor Young.

'If you are in contact with someone who is elderly or have health concerns of your own, then I would recommend that you get the vaccine privately.

'We have become very complacent about Covid – it's not like getting a cold. The more we learn about this the more worrying it is.

'So it's important that people get up to date with their jabs.'