Over-40s in Manchester can now get a booster jab three months after their second Covid vaccine

Everyone aged 40 and above who had their second dose of the Covid vaccine three or more months ago can get a booster jab in Manchester from today (8 December.)
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All vaccination sites in the city will be offering booster jabs to all over-40s who fit this criteria.

It comes as the gap between second and third doses of the vaccine is halved.

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Dr Manisha Kumar, who is leading Manchester’s vaccination programme, said the announcement that more people will be eligible for boosters was welcomed.

She said: “As we approach winter, that’s our key priority – to vaccinate as many people as possible and keep our hospitals as resilient as possible over December and January when we normally see our peak.”

The legal mechanism allowing for the booster vaccines to be rolled out has been announced today (8 December) following some delays.

Dr Kumar said the vaccination programme will ‘target’ the most vulnerable people first, starting with those who are housebound and care home residents.

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So far, around 85% of eligible over-70s have had their booster jab.

But uptake of first and second doses across the city’s population remains relatively low at less than two thirds according to data from 5 December.

What’s the latest on the Omicron variant?

Manchester’s director of public health David Regan said the main approach to controlling the spread of the Omicron variant is the vaccination programme.

He said: “There’s no doubt that Omicron will take a foothold in this city and across the country.

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“What we don’t know at this stage is how quickly Omicron will replace Delta as the main variant in terms of transmission.

“We’ll be tracking along with other national agencies over the next month.”

David Regan, director of public health Credit: MCCDavid Regan, director of public health Credit: MCC
David Regan, director of public health Credit: MCC

The public health director told Manchester’s health scrutiny committee that evidence has emerged that Omicron may be more transmissible than Delta.

He explained that more information about the effectiveness of vaccines on the Omicron variant will emerge in the next week as more data is collected.

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The infection rate in Manchester is stable at around 325.9 cases per 100,000 people during the seven days to 2 December.

The number of cases among people aged 60 and above has decreased, but there has been an increase among young working age people in the city.

Find out how to book a booster or locate a local drop-in clinic here.

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