Do I need a third Covid-19 jab?
Almost half of the adult population will be eligible for a Covid-19 vaccine booster jab, should scientists decide they are needed. Here are answers to your questions about the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) interim guidance on a booster campaign. Vaccine experts advising the Government have set out new interim advice detailing what a Covid-19 vaccine booster campaign will look like, should it be needed. If it does start, it will begin in September. But experts have stressed that the campaign might not actually be needed and the initial jabs might be enough to protect people through the winter. Experts will know more about the length of time people are afforded protection from the vaccines in coming weeks as more clinical trial data comes in. (PA Graphics)  If you have been classed as vulnerable to Covid-19 because of your age, job or a health condition then yes. Some people are also being offered a booster to protect others. The proposals suggest that a two-stage approach would be best, with the most vulnerable offered the jab first. People in Stage 2 should be offered a booster dose as soon as practicable after Stage 1, with equal emphasis on the flu vaccine where eligible, the JCVI said. Every vaccination gives us hope. Join the millions already vaccinated, to protect yourself and others. Around 32 million across the UK, roughly 48% of the population. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that there were around 15 million people who would be called forward in Stage 1, and 17 million in Stage 2. The interim advice set out by the JCVI has been put together to help the NHS plan for a booster campaign. (PA Graphics)  People can lose some of the protection afforded by vaccines either by waning immunity over time or the emergence of new variants which can escape the protection given by vaccines. But at the moment it is unclear whether immunity is waning. The DHSC said there was good evidence that two doses of any Covid-19 vaccine used in the UK would provide strong protection against severe disease for at least six months for the majority, and there was some evidence that longer lasting protection may be afforded to some. And the current jabs seem to be doing a pretty good job in the face of the new Delta variant. Scientists expect the results of studies in coming weeks which should indicate how well the vaccines are standing the test of time. People who are most vulnerable to #COVID19 could be offered a booster vaccination from September. This will aim to ensure that protection from the first and second doses is maintained during the winter  Find out more: https://t.co/ZelhcIdnTk@PHE_UK pic.twitter.com/6m5Zbk78s1  Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 30, 2021  They will also consider other information such as new variants of concern. It is not yet known whether people would be offered the same vaccine again, or a different jab, but advisers said that all possibilities are on the table until more data is available from clinical trials. Officials will know more when they get results from the CovBoost trial, which is expected to report back in August. People will be offered a single jab as a booster, so the rollout of the programme will be logistically easier for the NHS, and more convenient for those attending appointments. Experts have said that it is too early to say whether other people not listed in Stage 1 or Stage 2 will need a Covid-19 vaccine booster this winter. Some younger adults will only just have received their second dose. The JCVI will consider the benefits of a booster for other people at a later time when more information is available. (PA Graphics)  The proposed booster campaign would coincide with the flu jab programme in terms of timing. Experts have said that where possible, a synergistic approach to the delivery of Covid-19 and influenza vaccination could support delivery and maximise uptake of both vaccines. A variant vaccine is designed to target a specific variant of a virus which is in circulation. The JCVI has said that vaccines designed specifically against variants of concern will not be available in time for booster revaccination this autumn.