Invitations for Covid-19 booster jabs will be sent to 1.5million people in England tomorrow as the Government prepares to top-up immunity in frontline workers and vulnerable Britons.
Text messages urging people to arrange a third jab through the National Booking Service will be sent on Monday while letters will be sent to those who are eligible later in the week.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the booster doses would help 'strengthen the wall of defence across the country' and were an 'important way of keeping the virus under control' ahead of the winter months.
Mr Javid said: 'It is excellent that getting your booster jab has now become even easier thanks to the opening of the National Booking Service to those eligible.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the booster doses would help 'strengthen the wall of defence across the country'
'Booster doses are an important way of keeping the virus under control for the long term and will protect the most vulnerable through the winter months.
'I urge everyone who receives a letter or text to get their jab as soon as possible so we can strengthen the wall of defence across the country that each vaccine brings.'
Third doses will be rolled out to the top nine priority groups during the initial drive and those eligible include anyone aged 50 and over, people living and working in care homes for the elderly, and frontline health and social care workers.
All those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and anyone aged 16 to 65 in an at-risk group for Covid (who were included in priority groups one to nine during the initial vaccine rollout) will also be eligible for a jab.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said people should receive their booster dose at least six months after they received their second coronavirus jab.
While there is a preference that people should get the Pfizer jab as a third dose, regardless of which jab they were initially given, the JCVI said half doses of the Moderna jab could be used as an alternative.
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