In a televised address exactly two years ago on 23rd March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a UK-wide partial lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. The British public were instructed that they must stay at home, except for certain “very limited purposes” – shopping for basic necessities; for “one form of exercise a day”; for any medical need; and to travel to and from work when “absolutely necessary”. A number of other restrictions were imposed, with police given powers to enforce the measures, including the use of fines.
Two years later, 52,751,751 people have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine (91.7% of the population aged 12 and over) and 49,325,037 people both doses (85.8%), a total of 38,665,626 people have received a booster/3rd jab (67.2%), all remaining Covid restrictions have now been removed and this week sees the launch of the spring booster (4th) jab under the latest phase in the Covid vaccination programme, with the Health Secretary Sajid Javid explaining that “spring boosters will help top up the immunity of the elderly and the vulnerable to ensure they are protected and will help us to live with this virus”.
Spring Booster (4th) Jabs
Around 5 million people are now eligible for the latest booster jab (those aged over 75 and the immunosuppressed over age 12) to be administered 6 months after the first booster. The NHS (or your local surgery) are expected to contact 600,000 people during the first week of the campaign to make appointments.
Pulborough Medical Group are currently contacting patients aged over 75 who had their booster before 12th October 2021 and inviting them to make appointments for the spring booster jab. For more information please see here.
It is understood that an autumn booster programme, aimed at a wider group of people, is also planned by the government for later this year.
