England’s annual flu and Covid vaccine drive is being brought forward due to fears the heavily-mutated Pirola variant will trigger a fresh wave and overwhelm the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced vaccinations for care home residents and vulnerable adults will now start earlier than scheduled.
GPs and pharmacies will begin dishing out the jabs from September 11, a full month earlier than originally planned.
The ‘precautionary’ move comes amid fears over the spread of the mutated Pirola variant of Covid, technically called BA.2.86. Health chiefs today confirmed a second Brit has been infected with the strain.
Ministers said they had made the decision to reduce pressure on the health service while scientists rush to learn more about Pirola, described as a ‘real deal’ and the ‘most striking’ that the world has seen since Omicron first emerged.
Covid and flu jab brought forward over ‘concerning’ Covid variant: Vaccines to be deployed in less than a fortnight over fears Pirola will overwhelm NHS
Jabs were originally planned to be dished out to vulnerable people in October.England’s annual flu and Covid vaccine drive is being brought forward due to fears the heavily-mutated Pirola variant will trigger a fresh wave and overwhelm the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care announced vaccinations for care home residents and vulnerable adults will now start earlier than scheduled.
GPs and pharmacies will begin dishing out the jabs from September 11, a full month earlier than originally planned.
The ‘precautionary’ move comes amid fears over the spread of the mutated Pirola variant of Covid, technically called BA.2.86. Health chiefs today confirmed a second Brit has been infected with the strain.
Ministers said they had made the decision to reduce pressure on the health service while scientists rush to learn more about Pirola, described as a ‘real deal’ and the ‘most striking’ that the world has seen since Omicron first emerged.
Office of National Statistics data released today shows there were 74 Covid deaths registered across the two countries in the week ending August 11. This was a 57 per cent rise on the 47 logged in the previous seven-day spell. But for comparison, this is just a fraction of January’s toll, when cases soared to pandemic highs and deaths peaked at 654.
Office of National Statistics data released today shows there were 74 Covid deaths registered across the two countries in the week ending August 11. This was a 57 per cent rise on the 47 logged in the previous seven-day spell. But for comparison, this is just a fraction of January’s toll, when cases soared to pandemic highs and deaths peaked at 654.
Covid and flu vaccines will only be offered to over-65s this winter, health chiefs confirmed. In a bid to ‘go back to normal’, invites won’t be dished out to millions aged 50-64 who were eligible during the pandemic
Announcing the move, Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: ‘As our world-leading scientists gather more information on the BA.2.86 variant, it makes sense to bring forward the vaccination programme.
‘It is absolutely vital the most vulnerable groups receive a vaccine to strengthen their immunity over winter to protect themselves and reduce pressure on the NHS.
‘I encourage anyone invited for a vaccination – including those yet to have their first jab – to come forward as soon as possible.’
Bringing the jab rollout forward was based on advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) that speeding up the rollout would offer people greater protection from the becoming severely ill from virus.
This, the agency claimed, would have the added benefit of reducing pressure on the NHS.
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