The British government announced Tuesday, September 14 that a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine would be offered next week to over 50s and caregivers, hoping to avoid further confinement this winter.
Read alsoCovid-19: the United Kingdom orders 35 million additional doses by the end of 2022
People aged 16 to 49 with health problems making them particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and adults in contact with immunocompromised people are also targeted by this booster program.
Autumn and winter "favorable to Covid-19"
"
We must be vigilant because autumn and winter present favorable conditions for Covid-19 and other seasonal viruses
," Health Minister Sajid Javid warned before deputies in the House of Commons.
Read also Anti-Covid vaccine: the European Union is still interested in Valneva
"
The children are back to school, more and more people are returning to work, the changing weather means there may be more people spending time indoors,
" he said. he listed, also mentioning the potential strain on hospital departments from other seasonal viruses like the flu.
The vaccine booster program aims to avoid re-instituting strict social and economic restrictions such as the three lockdowns imposed on the country since March 2020, according to the minister.
The government has already given up imposing a vaccination passport for entering nightclubs, as envisaged.
In the event of a worsening of the pandemic, the government reserves the option of reintroducing certain measures such as the obligation to wear a mask.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to detail this plan to fight Covid-19 this winter at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
30,000 new daily cases of Covid-19
The country, which lifted most anti-coronavirus restrictions in July, is recording around 30,000 new cases per day of Covid-19, with more than 1,000 patients on ventilators.
He deplores more than 134,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Read also Anti-Covid vaccine: the European Union is still interested in Valneva
Experts from the JCVI, a committee advising the government on its vaccination campaign, recommended using the Pfizer / BioNtech vaccine as a priority for booster injections, or otherwise, a half-dose of Moderna.
The injection should take place at least six months after the administration of the second dose, an interval considered to be the most relevant in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine.
It can be done at the same time as the flu shot, June Raine, director general of the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) at a press conference.
Vaccination, an "incredible success"
The Covid-19 vaccination campaign began in December 2020 in the United Kingdom and 81% of the population over 16 years of age have since received two doses of the vaccine.
Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said the campaign had been "
incredibly successful
", averting around 24 million Covid-19 cases and 112,000 deaths.
But he warned that the winter could be "
eventful
" with the return of seasonal epidemics.
The Minister of Health pointed out that nearly 99% of deaths from Covid-19 in the first half of 2021 concerned people who had not received two doses of a vaccine against Covid-19.
“
It shows the importance of our vaccination program
,” he said.
After long procrastination from the health authorities, the government had already announced Monday to extend the vaccination campaign to 12-15 year olds in England from next week. They will receive a first and single dose of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
