Millions of Brits to get ‘spring booster jab’ within weeks – are you eligible?

MILLIONS of Brits are set to get their "spring dose" Covid vaccine within weeks.

Brits over 75 years old, care home residents and people over 12 who are immunosuppressed can get a booster in a few weeks.

NHS England is prepped to start dishing out vaccines to eligible people later this month, as long as they are six months on from their last shot.

The original plan was to start the next phase of the rollout from April, but anyone who is eligible before then can have another vaccine.

It has not been confirmed when exactly this might start, with some reports suggesting from March 21 - if you think you are eligible, wait for your invite.

An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS continues to follow JCVI guidance accepted by Government, and in line with this, the NHS will be vaccinating eligible people with a spring dose six months after their first booster starting later this month for the small number of people eligible before April.”

Extending the spring rollout to people under 75 or in other at-risk groups will be kept under review, the Health Secretary said last month.

Keeping up with boosters is the best way to stay protected from catching and spreading the virus, and ward off any new variants.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed if you have your booster, you're 85 per cent less likely to end up in hospital than if you're unvaccinated.

Omicron is milder - especially in the vaccinated - and Brits are now learning to live with Covid. 

But as case numbers are still high with thousands catching the bug every day, jabs are the best way to protect yourself and others.

Experts were quick to make reassurances the spring offer is not in response to any looming danger or concerns for people's safety.

It is instead to get ahead of any waning immunity and ensure those who could be most at risk remain fully protected, they said last month.

However it comes now as immunity starts to wane in older Brits, and hospital admissions creep up.

New daily infections in the UK have also increased in the last few days, moving from around 40K-a-day last week to over 70,000 fresh cases yesterday.

Sajid Javid last month urged Brits to get their boosters and make sure they have taken up all offers of jabs they are eligible for.

Many won't have had theirs after thousands were struck down with the bug over the Christmas period, and had to wait 28 days before booking back in.

Now is the time to make sure you've had your booster shot, to keep cases down and avoid spreading the bug as restrictions lift.

Depending on what at-risk group those eligible for the "spring dose" are in, this would be their fourth or fifth vaccine.

They will be offered a choice of Moderna or Pfizer Covid jabs, with experts unsure what summer will bring but determined to keep immunity up in the vulnerable groups. 

Health chiefs also anticipate that, like flu, next winter could bring another wave of Covid challenges - with plans for an autumn vaccination programme likely to be drawn up.

This means the same group getting another jab in the spring, will probably be invited back for one more in the autumn.

But the autumn jab campaign is also expected to also include over-50s - and could include any new Covid vaccines that are available.

However, nothing is set in stone yet, with it remaining unclear whether all those currently eligible for an annual flu jab would be included.

Variants and new strains could be as mild as Omicron has proven to be - especially in the vaccinated - but there is also a chance they could prove more severe, which is why vaccines are important.