THE NATIONAL Health Service has issued a final reminder for those who are still yet to get their seasonal booster vaccines for Covid-19.
The current offer of booster jabs on the NHS closes on Wednesday, January 31, and those who are eligible are encouraged to take advantage of it while it remains.
Since the programme started in 2020, more than 5.2 million Covid-19 vaccinations have been administered in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.
The NHS winter flu and Covid vaccination programme provides vital protection to those eligible and their families over winter, keeping people from developing serious illnesses, and helping to minimise hospitalisations during busy winter months.
People eligible during this vaccination campaign include all aged 65 and over, care home residents, frontline health and social care staff, those at increased risk because they are pregnant or have a certain underlying health condition, unpaid carers, and household contacts of those at risk.
It is important for those who are eligible to top up their protection, even if they have had a vaccine or been ill with flu or Covid before, as immunity fades over time and these viruses change each year.
The adult Covid and flu vaccination programme was brought forward on the advice of scientists following the emergence of a new Covid variant (BA.2.86) last year, which has a high number of mutations.
Health chiefs have ensured there is enough capacity to offer the flu and Covid vaccines to all those eligible by the end of October, reflecting the risk of the new variant.
Rachael Corser, chief nursing officer for BOB Integrated Care Board, said: ‘The Covid-19 vaccine remains our best line of defence against the virus.
“It’s quick and easy and I urge anyone eligible who has not yet come forward to do so before the offer closes.
“The vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way to boost your protection from serious illness.”
More details are available via the NHS website.
