Hundreds of walk-in centres across England are now offering Covid-19 booster jabs without an appointment, as the NHS gears up for a ‘challenging winter’.
From today, anyone who has had their second dose at least six months ago can use the health service’s online walk-in finder to search for their nearest site and get a top-up.
Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS covid-19 vaccination programme said: ‘NHS staff are making it as easy as possible for people to get their top-up vaccination, and from today people can now go online, find their nearest site and go and get their booster without delay.
‘The booster is not just a nice thing to have, it is really important protection ahead of what we know will be a challenging winter. So if you are eligible, please do check the site finder and go get your jab.’
The move was announced after a further 38,009 cases were registered on Sunday, along with another 74 deaths.
NHS England said more than six million people have had a booster jab or a third dose – the latter is being given to people with severely weakened immune systems.
It added that almost every person registered with a GP practice lives within 10 miles of a fixed vaccination site.
The walk-in finder website will show who can get jabs at different sites, whether it is offering boosters, vaccines for 12-15 year-olds, or anyone aged 16 and over.
People entitled to a booster jab are: those aged 50 and over, people who live and work in care homes, frontline health and social care workers, people aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19, those aged 16 and over who are a main carer for someone at high risk from the virus, and people aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged those eligible to get boosters when he was asked about possible coronavirus restrictions during his trip to the G20 summit in Rome on Sunday.
He told reporters: ‘I think rather than thinking new restrictions, the best thing everybody can do is get that booster jab as soon as you’re offered it.
‘It’s a very important message. I think people don’t quite realise that the first two jabs do start to wane.
‘How sad, how tragic it would be if people who had other complications, other compromises in their health, got seriously ill because they were overconfident about their level of immunity and didn’t get their booster when they needed it.
‘So please, please, please can everybody get their boosters.’
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