How do I book a Covid booster vaccine and when can I get it? - ITV News

The Covid booster rollout will be broadened in a bid to vaccinate more people ahead of a possible Omicron wave.

The prime minister has pledged "temporary vaccination centres will be popping up like Christmas trees" over the coming weeks.

An expansion of the existing vaccine programme comes after UK's vaccines advisory board gave their backing to widening the rollout.

On Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases of the variant stood at at least 22 across the UK.

Boris Johnson has now set a target of offering a booster jab to everyone eligible for one by the end of January in England, in what his health secretary has called a "booster programme on steroids".

Mr Johnson said in a Downing Street press briefing on Tuesday that “we’re going to be throwing everything at it", adding military personnel will assist healthcare workers in administering booster jabs at pop-up centres.

Sajid Javid said the booster dose provides a "much higher antibody response than the primary course, so it’s more important than ever that people step up and get protected".

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) earlier recommended the eligible age range should be broadened and the interval between the second and booster shots halved, in response to the recently identified Omicron variant.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are likely to announce any changes to their booster programmes in the coming days.

Who is now eligible for a booster jab in England and how do you book?

Can I now book my appointment if I'm over 18?

All adults over the age of 18 will be offered a booster shot by the end of January.

Previously, third jabs were restricted to those aged 40 and above, frontline health or social workers, and those with underlying health issues.

The new JCVI advice means those aged 18-39 will also be eligible for a booster when the NHS calls them forward.

This means more than seven million 18-39-year-olds and 6.9 million over-40s will now be eligible for a booster shot, a total of around 14 million.

When will I get my booster?

The time between second and third vaccines will be reduced to just three months in response to the Omicron variant. Previously there was a gap of six months, although you could book five months after your second jab.

The booster will be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to older adults and those in Covid at-risk groups.

“We will let you know when it’s your turn," said Chief Executive of the NHS Amanda Pritchard with regards to getting the jab booked.

Severely immuno suppressed people aged 16 or above who have received three primary doses will now also be offered a fourth booster dose.

How can I book?

You will be able to book your third appointment through the NHS booking service once you are eligible.

The NHS will call you forward according to eligibility.You can also get your booster dose at a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination site if you had your second dose at least six months ago.

If I've already booked, can I bring appointment forward?

As with the original booking system, it may be possible to bring your third jab appointment forward if you had booked six months after your second shot but are now eligible to have it sooner.

This may mean you have to cancel your original booking and make a new one, with a risk that you may not be able to make a new one at a time convenient to you.Will I have the same vaccine for my booster?

Not necessarily. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will primarily be offered as a booster dose irrespective of the vaccine used for your first two shots.

This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your first and second doses.While most people will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, some will receive a Moderna vaccine while a few may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they cannot have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, the NHS said.

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Will under 18s be offered a extra jab?

The JCVI has advised second doses should be offered to 12 to 15-year-olds, 12 weeks after their first.

Dr June Raine, chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said on Monday a "through review" and monitoring had found it was safe for those aged 12 to 15 to have a second vaccine dose. She said a study of the side effects of the vaccine in those aged under 18 had shown there are "no new safety issues". Dr Raine said: "Our message to people aged 12-15 is that it is safe to have a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and if you're called to receive your second dose, please go and take that offer. "It will ensure that you're further protected from Covid-19."

Why do I need a booster?

The latest evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65%, up to three months after the second dose, to 45% six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90% to 65% for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95% to 75% for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99% to 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech.

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How do booster jabs help protect against infection from the virus? Dr Sarah Jarvis explains

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With fears that vaccines are less effective against the Omicron variant, getting a third shot into as many arms as possible will bolster the UK's immunity to the virus. While vaccines will still work, it is not get known if they will be less effective against this new Covid-19 variant.

Two vaccine doses provide good protection against severe illness from the original and Delta strains, but to provide better protection against infection, and transmission, three shots is ideal - and if vaccines are less effective against the Omicron variant, even more so.

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2021-11-30 17:07:56Z
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How do I book a Covid booster vaccine and when can I get it? - ITV News

The Covid booster rollout is set to be broadened in a bid to vaccinate more people ahead of a possible Omicron wave.An expansion of the existing vaccine programme comes after UK's vaccines advisory board gave their backing to widening the rollout as nine cases of the Omicron variant were confirmed in the UK.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended the eligible age range should be broadened and the interval between between the second and booster halved as the UK ramps up its vaccine programme and raise levels of protection across the population in light of the recently identified Omicron variant.

Following the announcement, health secretary, Sajid Javid, said he would implement recommendations in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are likely to announce any changes to their booster programmes in the coming days.

Who is now eligible for a booster jab and how do you book?

Can I now book my appointment if I'm over 18?

All adults over the age of 18 will be offered a booster shot.

Before Monday's announcement, third jabs were restricted to those aged 40, front-line health or social workers, and those with underlying health issues.

This new JCVI advice means those aged 18-39 will also be eligible for a booster when the NHS calls them forward.

When will I get my booster?

The time between second and third vaccines will be reduced to just three months in response to the Omicron variant. Previously there was a gap of six months, although you could book five months after your second jab.

The booster will be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to older adults and those in Covid at-risk groups.

The NHS will be calling people forward "at the appropriate time," Mr Javid said, this means people between 18-39 will not be able to book on the NHS website immediately.

The NHS will set out the "in next few days" how the new guidance will be "operationalised", Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, said as he announced recommendations at a Downing Street press conference on Monday.

Severely immuno suppressed people aged 16 or above who have received three primary doses should now also be offered a booster dose.

How can I book?

You will be able to book your third appointment through the NHS booking service once you are eligible. The NHS will call you forward according to eligibility.You can also get your booster dose at a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination site if you had your second dose at least six months ago.

If I've already booked, can I bring appointment forward?

As with the original booking system, it may be possible to bring your third jab appointment forward if you had booked six months after your second shot but are now eligible to have it sooner. This may mean you have to cancel your original booking and make a new one, with a risk that you may not be able to make a new one at a time convenient to you.Will I have the same vaccine for my booster?

Not necessarily. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will primarily be offered as a booster dose irrespective of the vaccine used for your first two shots. This means your booster dose may be different from the vaccines you had for your first and second doses.While most people will be offered a booster dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, some will receive a Moderna vaccine while a few may be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if they cannot have the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, the NHS said.

---

Listen to Coronavirus: What You Need to Know, the Covid-19 podcast from ITV News

---

Will under 18s be offered a extra jab?

The JCVI has also advised that second doses should be offered to 12 to 15-year-olds, 12 weeks after their first.

Dr June Raine, chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said a "through review" and monitoring had found it was safe for those aged 12 to 15 to have a second vaccine dose. She said a study of the side effects of the vaccine in those aged under 18 had shown there are "no new safety issues". Speaking at a press briefing in Downing Street, Dr Raine said: "Our message to people aged 12-15 is that it is safe to have a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and if you're called to receive your second dose, please go and take that offer. "It will ensure that you're further protected from Covid-19."

Why do I need a booster?

The latest evidence from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows protection against symptomatic disease falls from 65%, up to three months after the second dose, to 45% six months after the second dose for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, and from 90% to 65% for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Protection against hospitalisation falls from 95% to 75% for Oxford/AstraZeneca and 99% to 90% for Pfizer/BioNTech.

---

How do booster jabs help protect against infection from the virus? Dr Sarah Jarvis explains

---

With fears that vaccines are less effective against the Omicron variant, getting a third shot into as many arms as possible will bolster the UK's immunity to the virus. While vaccines will still work, it is not get known if they will be less effective against this new Covid-19 variant.

Two vaccine doses provide good protection against severe illness from the original and Delta strains, but to provide better protection against infection, and transmission, three shots is ideal - and if vaccines are less effective against the Omicron variant, even more so.

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2021-11-30 14:37:01Z
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Covid: Omicron variant in Netherlands earlier than thought - BBC News

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The new Covid-19 variant, Omicron, was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, officials say.

It was identified in two test samples taken in the country between 19 and 23 November, which is before the variant was first reported by South Africa.

It is not clear whether those who took the tests had visited southern Africa.

It was previously thought that two flights that arrived from South Africa on Sunday had brought the first cases of the variant to the Netherlands.

Fourteen people on the flights to the capital, Amsterdam, tested positive for Omicron, among 61 passengers who were found to have coronavirus.

However, while the two new samples reveal Omicron was in the Netherlands earlier than thought, they do not predate the cases in southern Africa. The variant was first found in a specimen collected on 9 November, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Early evidence suggests Omicron has a higher re-infection risk. But scientists say it will take about three weeks before it is known how the heavily mutated variant impacts on the effectiveness of vaccines.

• How do you detect Omicron?
• Escaped couple fight Omicron quarantine
• How worrying is the new Covid variant?

"In a special PCR test, the samples showed an abnormality in the spike protein," the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) which announced the earlier cases, said on Tuesday.

"This raised the concern that the Omicron variant... might be involved. [Health officials] will notify the people involved and start source and contact tracing," it said.

The RIVM also said that a number of different strains of Omicron were found among the passengers on board the two flights on Sunday.

"This means that the people were very probably infected independently from each other, from different sources and in different locations," a spokesman said.

It's unlikely we will ever know precisely when or where Omicron first emerged.

South Africa alerted the world to the new variant on 24 November after it found its first case. Since then, other countries have been on the lookout for it and more cases have been identified around the globe thanks to genome sequencing tests.

Not every nation has the ability, however, to carry out these added checks.

Even the UK, which is one of the front-runners using the technology, is unable to screen every positive Covid case to determine which variant is the cause.

PCR tests, meanwhile, can hint if a Covid case might be Omicron, but cannot confirm it for sure.

Dutch authorities, meanwhile, are also seeking to contact and test thousands of passengers who have travelled from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

The US, Canada, the UK and the EU have all restricted travel from southern Africa amid concern over the new variant.

But the UN Secretary General António Guterres said he was "deeply concerned" about the isolation of southern Africa, adding that "the people of Africa cannot be blamed for the immorally low level of vaccinations available".

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South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said the wider region had been the victim of unfair discrimination, adding that the bans would not be effective in preventing the spread of the variant.

A foreign ministry statement also said the travel bans were "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker".

"Excellent science should be applauded and not punished," it said.

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2021-11-30 12:33:24Z
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European stocks drop as concerns over Omicron variant flare up - Financial Times

European and Asian stock markets and oil prices fell on Tuesday, while investors parked cash in high-grade government bonds, as trading was dominated by concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The regional Stoxx 600 share index, which had rallied on Monday along with Wall Street stocks to reflect a burst of optimism that market volatility sparked by Omicron would turn out to be a buying opportunity, fell around 1.3 per cent with the UK’s FTSE 100, Germany’s Dax and France’s Cac 40 all down by around the same margin.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 1.6 per cent and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 lost 1.6 per cent, while futures tracking Wall Street’s S&P 500 index fell more than 1 per cent in early European dealings.

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, lost almost 3 per cent to $71.35 a barrel, hitting it lowest level in almost three months.

The moves came after Stéphane Bancel, chief executive of vaccine maker Moderna, told the Financial Times that existing vaccines will be much less effective at tackling Omicron than earlier strains of coronavirus. He also warned that pharmaceutical companies would take months to manufacture new variant-specific jabs at scale.

Earlier in the session, Hong Kong banned non-resident arrivals from 13 countries in response to Omicron and Japan confirmed its first case of the variant, which was first detected in southern African and is now present in the UK, much of Europe and Canada.

Investors widely expect markets to remain volatile as more information emerges about Omicron and the capacity of governments and existing vaccine programmes to contain it. Wall Street’s Vix index, a measure of expected volatility in the stock market, jumped to 26 on Tuesday from 23 the previous day — leaving it further above its long-run average of 20.

The US has not detected any cases of the variant so far, although President Joe Biden has predicted it will emerge there while also ruling out more lockdowns to prevent its spread.

“The magnitude of market reactions may still increase if we start seeing cases of this variant in the US,” said Tancredi Cordero, founder and chief executive of investment advisory boutique Kuros Associates.

“Markets came into this from a place of complacency,” he added, noting that the S&P 500 and the Stoxx had hit record highs earlier this month despite the US Federal Reserve announcing the start of reductions to its $120bn a month monetary stimulus and high levels of global inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note dropped by 0.1 percentage points to 1.43 per cent as the price of the debt rose.

The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six others, fell 0.5 per cent as traders eased back on bets on how quickly the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates next year.

In prepared remarks ahead of an appearance before Congress later on Tuesday, Fed chair Jay Powell said rising Covid-19 cases and the Omicron variant “pose downside risks to employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation.”

Oil prices, which dropped more than 10 per cent on Friday, would “not re-gain all the lost ground until after the end of this year,” said Tamas Varga of oil brokerage PVM.

“This is simply because it will take time to evaluate the damage caused by the rise of the latest variant of the virus.”

Additional reporting by Neil Hume in London

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2021-11-30 09:38:56Z
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Omicron variant: Over 18s to get booster jabs and over 12s to get second dose - ITV News

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1. Omicron variant: Over 18s to get booster jabs and over 12s to get second dose  ITV News
2. Covid: JCVI scientists to announce decision on booster rollout  BBC News
3. Sajid Javid implies new restrictions will be abandoned if Omicron no more dangerous than Delta – as it happened  The Guardian
4. DUP leader urges all to receive the Covid-19 vaccine  The Independent
5. Everyone should get their booster jab - DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson  Belfast Telegraph
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-11-29 22:45:03Z
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Covid: South Africa's president calls for lifting of Omicron travel bans - BBC News

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South Africa's president has condemned travel bans enacted against his country and its neighbours over the new coronavirus variant Omicron.

Cyril Ramaphosa said he was "deeply disappointed" by the action, which he described as unjustified, and called for the bans to be urgently lifted.

The UK, EU and US are among those who have imposed travel bans.

Omicron has been classed as a "variant of concern". Early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk.

The heavily mutated variant was detected in South Africa earlier this month and then reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) last Wednesday.

The variant is responsible for most of the infections found in South Africa's most populated province, Gauteng, over the last two weeks, and the number of cases of "appears to be increasing in almost all provinces" in the country, according to the WHO.

South Africa reported 2,800 new infections on Sunday, a rise from the daily average of 500 in the previous week.

Government adviser and epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim said he expected the number of cases to reach more than 10,000 a day by the end of the week, and for hospitals to come under pressure in the next two to three weeks.

But Health Minister Joe Phaahla said there was "absolutely no need to panic".

"We have been here before," he added, referring to the Beta variant identified in South Africa last December.

On Monday, Japan became the latest country to reinstate tough border restrictions, banning all foreigners from entering the country from 30 November.

The WHO has warned against countries hastily imposing travel curbs, saying they should look to a "risk-based and scientific approach".

• How worrying is the new Covid variant?
• South Africans fear impact of new variant measures
• Covid variants: Do we need new vaccines yet?

WHO's Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said on Sunday: "With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity."

However, numerous bans have been introduced in recent days, with Rwanda and Angola being among the African states to restrict flights to and from South Africa.

Foreign ministry spokesman Clayson Monyela described their decision as "quite regrettable, very unfortunate, and I will even say sad".

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In his speech on Sunday, Mr Ramaphosa said there was no scientific basis for the travel bans and that southern Africa was the victim of unfair discrimination.

He also argued that the bans would not be effective in preventing the spread of the variant.

"The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries and undermine their ability to respond to, and recover from, the pandemic," he said.

He called on countries with bans in place to "urgently reverse their decisions... before any further damage is done to our economies".

Mr Ramaphosa said South Africa would not impose new restrictions, but would "undertake broad consultations on making vaccination mandatory for specific activities and locations".

Current regulations in South Africa make it mandatory to wear face coverings in public, and restrict indoor gatherings to 750 people and outdoor gatherings to 2,000.

There are no vaccine shortages in South Africa itself, and Mr Ramaphosa urged more people to get jabbed, saying that remained the best way to fight the virus.

Health experts said that Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg, had entered a fourth wave, and most hospital admissions were of unvaccinated people.

Omicron has now been detected in a number of countries around the world, including the UK, Germany, Australia and Israel.

In other developments:

• In the Netherlands, Omicron was detected in 13 people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa.
• Separately, Dutch police said they detained a couple who had escaped from a quarantine hotel. According to the Dutch newspaper Het Parool, the Spanish man and Portuguese woman were arrested on a plane that was about to depart to Spain
• Israel banned all foreigners from entering the country for 14 days from midnight Sunday
• The UK called for an emergency meeting of the G7 group of nations on Monday to discuss the new variant
• Voters in Switzerland backed the government's measures to tackle Covid, according to preliminary results.

Have your travel plans been affected by the bans? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

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2021-11-29 12:34:06Z
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Couple with COVID-19 arrested on plane after fleeing Dutch quarantine hotel - Sky News

A married couple who tested positive for COVID-19 have been arrested after fleeing a quarantine hotel in the Netherlands before attempting to leave the country.

The pair were arrested on an aeroplane that was about to take off at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Sunday evening, according to Dutch police.

Officers did not release the names and nationalities of those detained, but the city's Het Parool newspaper reported that they were a Spanish man and Portuguese woman who were trying to fly to Spain.

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The couple had been staying at a quarantine hotel in the Kennmerland region, where travellers from South Africa who have tested positive for COVID-19 are self-isolating.

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It is unclear whether the couple were among those travellers.

They were turned over to health authorities and could be prosecuted for breaching Dutch quarantine rules, De Telegraaf reported.

Their arrest was made "without violence", the newspaper added.

Private security guards at the hotel make sure guests remain in isolation, while police outside ensure no one enters the premises if they do not need to be there.

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2021-11-29 09:53:18Z
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