Booster jabs may not be needed for everyone in Britain and rushing third doses would be an ‘unnecessary burden’ on the NHS, the head of AstraZeneca has warned.
Chief executive Pascal Soriot called for patience from the government, stressing the UK was ‘a few weeks away’ from having a definitive answer on the effectiveness of two vaccines in providing ‘continued, protective immunity’.
Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Soriot and senior colleague Sir Mene Pangalos said: ‘Moving too quickly to boost across the entire adult population will deprive us of these insights, leaving this important decision to rest on limited data.
‘A third dose for all may be needed, but it may not. Mobilising the NHS for a boosting programme that is not needed would potentially add unnecessary burden on the NHS over the long winter months.
‘Because NHS staff and resources are scarce, another national mobilisation would potentially leave us with fewer resources for cancer screenings and the other care provided by doctors and nurses each day.’
The NHS is currently dealing with a record backlog which is set to get worse before it gets better, despite Boris Johnson’s controversial £36m tax raid announced yesterday.
The pharmaceutical bosses suggested waiting at least six months from when the first people in the UK had their second jab in March before assessing whether boosters are needed.
They said: ‘Clinical trials have shown a strong immune response up to 45 weeks after a second dose, in particular a high level of T-cells which are critical for a lasting immunity.
‘A third dose boosted antibody levels six-fold with a continued strong T-cell response, but we do not yet know whether that third dose is clinically needed.’
Their comments come after vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said a vaccine booster programme is ‘ready to go’ as soon as the scientific advice for the scheme is signed off.
More than half a million people with severely weakened immune systems and who are most at risk from Covid-19 will be offered another vaccine dose beginning this month, following a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
But that announcement is separate from any decision on a nationwide booster programme, with news on this expected soon.
The JCVI are said to be awaiting results of a Cov-Boost study, which is trialling seven different booster jabs and whether vaccines can be mixed and matched.
Mr Zahawi said yesterday that a successful booster programme should allow the virus to be dealt with ‘year in, year out’ without the need for any more lockdowns.
He told BBC Breakfast: ‘Vaccines have given us the ability to reduce infections, to save 100,000 lives.
‘It is through the booster programme that I hope … we can transition the virus from pandemic to endemic status and deal with it year in, year out.
‘It is going to be with us for many years – but not have to close down our economy or take the severe measures we had to sadly take in December of last year.’
A decision on a booster rollout is expected within days.
In addition, the UK’s chief medical officers are currently reviewing the wider benefits of vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, such as minimising school absences.
It comes after the JCVI declined to recommend a widespread rollout to the age group on health grounds alone.
A total of 668 deaths registered in the week ending August 27 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – the highest number since 719 deaths were registered in the week to March 26.
The latest figures show the impact of the third wave of Covid-19, which began in the UK in May, but the number of deaths is still well below the level seen at the peak of the second wave.
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