Spring booster jab launches for over-75s in England

People aged 75 and over, residents in care homes and those with weakened immune systems can now book an extra booster jab against Covid in England.

It comes as official figures show infection rates are rising in all age groups – including the over-70s.

The rollout follows recommendations from the UK’s vaccine advisers who say additional jabs will help boost protection for the most vulnerable.

Spring boosters are already being rolled out in Wales and Scotland.

A wider booster programme – involving more people – is expected this autumn.

It comes as the UK is seeing rising cases of Covid, with an estimated one in every 20 people infected, according to latest figures.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that people with symptoms of the virus should “behave sensibly” but he said that it would be down to the individual to decide whether or not to take a test.

“I think we need to step back and think about how we learn to live with Covid and focus on our very best form of defence and that’s the vaccination programme,” he said.

While vaccines have been shown to provide good protection against severe disease, protection wanes over time.

And as many of the oldest received their last jab in autumn 2021, their immunity may now be declining, experts say.