LONDON: The UK’s health minister said on Wednesday that the govt will offer a 3rd vaccine jab to half 1,000,000 people with severely weakened immune systems.
Health minister Sajid Javid said that a 3rd dose are going to be offered by the state-run health service to those that “may have received less protection against the virus from two vaccine doses”.
Javid announced the rollout after the govt advisory body the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a 3rd dose for those aged over 12 who have conditions like leukaemia, advanced HIV or recent organ transplants.
It said that the third dose by preference should be an mRNA vaccine — so, not the AstraZeneca jab.
The announcement comes because the UK government is considering whether to follow several other countries in issuing booster jabs to the population as an entire , potentially in early September alongside the flu jab.
Javid said that the “third primary vaccine” jab wasn’t an equivalent as a booster .
He said the govt was “continuing to plan” for a booster programme to start in September, prioritising those most in danger , including those eligible for a 3rd vaccine dose.
The World Health Organization has condemned the push by wealthy countries to supply Covid vaccine booster shots, while billions round the world have yet to receive one dose.
In a report published on Wednesday, the ecu Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said there was no urgent got to administer booster jabs to the fully vaccinated — though it said an additional dose may benefit those with weak immune systems.
