Step into Spring with COVID-19 booster jab

Step into Spring with a COVID-19 booster jab

The NHS COVID vaccination programme has, from 21 March, started to invite eligible people to come forward for their life-saving spring booster jabs.

People aged 75 and over, and those who are immunosuppressed, will be able to book to have their jab when invited to, during this latest phase of the vaccination programme. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised that a spring jab should be offered to those that are most vulnerable to COVID-19, as a precautionary measure. The NHS will invite people to arrange a jab through the national booking service when it is their turn, with around five million people able to get a Spring booster during the campaign. Kate Woolley, Director for the Birmingham and Solihull COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “Sadly, there are still large numbers of people unwell in our local hospitals with COVID-19, so it remains vital that those most at risk have the booster vaccination when they are invited to do so. “The response to previous invitations to have a COVID-19 vaccination has been by and large well received, with 2.2 million COVID-19 vaccinations given across Birmingham and Solihull so far. The NHS COVID vaccination programme is once again ready to get people protected, so when you are invited please do come forward for your spring dose.” Recent research from the UK Health Security Agency has shown that the NHS booster programme has helped prevent around 157,000 hospitalisations across the UK since mid-December. Despite this, NHS hospitals have treated more than 100,000 patients with COVID-19 since the start of the Omicron wave. For people who are immunosuppressed, they can now show they are eligible by providing either a letter from a GP team or specialist inviting them for a vaccine, a hospital or GP letter about their medication or treatment, or a prescription or medication box with their name and date on it. It is still important for severely immunosuppressed people who have been advised to have a third primary dose, for example those undergoing cancer treatment, to get this before getting a booster, for maximum protection from COVID-19. When invited to, book your booster vaccination at the link below, or call 119: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronaviruscovid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/bookcoronavirus-vaccination/ A list of local vaccination centres across Birmingham and Solihull is available at: https://www.birminghamandsolihullcovidvaccine. nhs.uk/walk-in/