On Wednesday, September 1, the JCVI said: “Some individuals… may not mount a full immune response to COVID-19 vaccination.” Around half a million people who have a severely weakened immune system are to be offered another Covid jab. The extra third dose will be offered to anyone over the age of 12 who has been classified as severely immunosuppressed. So who does this include? This includes having conditions such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, those who have received stem cell transplants in the past two years, and those with advanced HIV.
For the full list of people who qualify for a third Covid booster jab, the Department of Health and Social Care have the full details here.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today I have accepted the expert recommendations from the independent JCVI to offer a third vaccine dose to people aged 12 and over with severely weakened immune systems.”
This follows on from eye-opening data collected via clinical trials involving people who are immunosuppressed.
Sajid Javid added: “We know people with specific conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 may have received less protection against the virus from two vaccine doses.”
Those who are eligible for a third Covid booster jab can expect to be contacted by the NHS.
Sajid Javid pointed out that “this is not the start of the booster programme”.
However, the booster programme is still set to go ahead this month, with people most at-risk of Covid being prioritised to receive their booster shot.
The JCVI said it was still deliberating on the potential benefits of booster vaccines for the rest of the population and was awaiting further evidence to inform its decision.
Professor Jonathan Van Tam, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, commented on JCVI’s recommendation on third Covid jabs.
“We know there are people with severe immunosuppression for whom the first two doses of vaccine have not provided the same level protection as for the general population,” he said.
“The degree of protection will vary by individual, according to degree of immunosuppression and the underlying reasons for that.”
It’s for this reason that Professor Jonathan Van Tam “welcomes” the advice from the JCVI.
Further medical interventions to help protect vulnerable groups is under investigation.
Professor Jonathan Van Tam confirmed that specific treatments, such as antivirals and monoclonal antibodies, are being looked into.
Charities working with people who will be eligible for a third dose also welcomed the announcement, stating it will offer “much-needed reassurance and additional protection”.
In the meantime, even though Covid restrictions have been lifted, people are still advised to be cautious.
To be exact, 42,908,022 have had their second Covid jab (as of August 31, 2021).
While the number of people testing positive and passing away from a Covid infection is on the decrease in the past seven days, the number of patients admitted to hospital has increased.
In the past seven days, 6,484 people have been admitted to hospital because of Covid.
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Post source Daily Express
