Covid booster jab: Who is eligible for a Covid booster vaccine in Portsmouth and how to book

Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that the target has been brought forward for adult booster vaccinations in England.

In the pre-recorded address, the prime minister stated that Britain 'must urgently reinforce our wall of vaccine protection' and called on everyone to 'get boosted now'.

The latest push in the vaccine effort has been made due to the spread of the new Covid variant, Omicron and the rise of Covid-19 cases in the UK.

Here is everything you need to know about getting the booster vaccine in Portsmouth:

Who is eligible?

In England, those over the age of 18 are now eligible for the booster vaccine.

Before Boris Johnson's address to the nation yesterday, the booster was only offered to those over the age of 30.

If you are eligible, you will be offered the booster dose at least three months after you have had your second dose.

Before the guidance changed, the booster was offered to the following groups:

-frontline health and social care workers

-older adults who live in residential care homes

-all adults aged 30 years or over.

-Adults between the ages of 16 and 29 who have underlying health conditions that are at high risk of developing severe or long-covid

-Adult carers who are 16 and over

-Household contacts (aged 16 or over) of immunosuppressed individuals

How to book the Covid booster jab

Those who are deemed as vulnerable or those over the age of 70 will be invited to have their Covid booster vaccine by letter or contacted by their GP.

Frontline workers in health and social care will be able to book their booster online on the NHS inform website.

Those who live in care homes will receive the flu and Covid booster vaccine at the same time in their homes.

Those over the age of 18 will be able to book their booster jab from Wednesday, December 15 in England.

The appointments will be available on the NHS website.

Those who do not book online will receive an invitation in the post.

Walk-in centres are already offering the booster vaccine to all eligible adults in England but according to the NHS website, there are currently no sites that are administering the booster jab in the Portsmouth area.

How to get the earliest possible appointment

There are various vaccination sites and centres in Portsmouth that will be providing the booster jab to those who are eligible via the NHS booking service.

You do not need to go to the one that is nearest to you.

If you can travel, there may be a vaccination site further away that has more appointments than a centre that is close by.

To get the earliest date possible, it is best to shop around to see the closest availability dates at individual vaccine centres, rather than accepting a date that is further away at your local site.

SEE ALSO: Huge queues on NHS website as people rush to book booster jab

What type of vaccine is the Covid booster?

If you are eligible for the booster jab, it is likely that you will receive a Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

The AstraZeneca vaccine will only be offered as a booster to those who cannot receive Moderna or Pfizer for medical reasons.

If you are eligible, you can receive both your flu and coronavirus booster vaccines at the same time, with an injection in each arm.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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