People over 50 are likely to get another Covid booster in the fall to fend off another winter crisis for the already stretched NHS.
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid on Tuesday informed the cabinet of the Omicron sub-variants for the first time in months, just hours before handing over his resignation to Boris Johnson†
The faster spreading BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants – first found in South Africa – have sparked a new wave of cases.
As a result, about six million people would queue for a fourth shot and the government is considering expanding the flu program.
Sources told the Time that there would be no ‘dramatic change in approach’ and that further restrictions are not considered.
“There is no more step away from the ‘living with Covid’ strategy, but the feeling is that vaccination is the main intervention and it’s easy to see the fall booster campaign being expanded,” said a source.
Fourth doses have already been offered as a spring booster to the most vulnerable in the UK as part of a precautionary strategy to maintain high levels of immunity.
A Whitehall source emphasized that while the number of cases is increasing relatively quickly, this does not warrant a dramatic change in approach.
“A very large part of the new infections is incidental,” they say. “Vaccinations are and will remain the most important defense.”
The NHS has advised vaccination centers to be ready to offer jabs to all over 50s.
Meanwhile, medical experts are calling for a new, Omicron-specific vaccine to tackle a new wave of the virus†
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is now also advising people to ensure they have had all of their Covid injections.
Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said: ‘There seems to be a desire in the government to vaccinate everyone over 50 and I think that will probably win.’
He warned that “it’s starting to look like flu could be a bigger problem given what we’re seeing in Australia” and that people over 50 should get a flu shot again this year.
“I think we’re going to have a bad flu year and it could be much earlier,” he said.
His comments come as Covid hospitalizations in Australia are at their highest level since February.
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