When will over 30s get the Covid vaccine?
The UK’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out continues at pace, with over 37 million Brits having received their first dose.
The Government is aiming to offer all adults their first dose by the end of July and is proceeding with the rollout in decreasing age order.
As cases of the Indian variant surge in certain parts of the UK, many are wondering when people over 30 will be able to book the vaccine.
Here’s the latest…
When will people over 30 get vaccinated?
Everyone aged 34 and over can now book their coronavirus vaccination.
More than one million people aged 34 and 35 will get a text from the NHS inviting them to get the jab.
NHS England said the minimum age will fall into the early thirties ‘over the next few days and weeks’.
Younger age groups are being vaccinated earlier where possible to guard against the Indian variant, which some experts fear could delay or derail the UK’s exit from lockdown on June 21.
The government has ordered an extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine ahead of time.
The order will then be used to offer younger people an alternative vaccine to the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recently decided that under-30s should be offered the Pfizer or Moderna instead of the Oxford vaccine.
This comes after reports that the risk of developing a blood clot after receiving the Oxford vaccine has doubled.
The chance of dying from a blood clot after having the jab is about one in one million – with 19 fatalities from around 20 million vaccinations.
The total number of people in the UK who developed blood clots after getting one dose did rise from 79 to 168 in the space of a fortnight, – but just over 10 people develop blood clots for every million doses of AZ vaccine given, says Medical Healthcare Products and Regulatory Agency (MHRA) data.
The JCVI is still in discussions as to whether the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab should be banned for people in their 30s.
In reaction to a surges in the Indian Covid variant in the area, all over 18s in Blackburn are set to be offered the vaccine in Blackburn.
Who has been offered their first dose of the vaccine?
In England, people aged 34 and over are now being invited to book their Covid-19 vaccines.
In Scotland, it is currently being offered to people aged 40 and over, while in Wales it is already being offered to those aged 30 to 39.
In Northern Ireland, over 30s have been invited to book their vaccine since the end of April.
Roll-outs across the UK have so far been prioritising vulnerable people and older age groups.
The elderly and those most at risk from coronavirus and those caring for them were among the first to be vaccinated.
So far, the vaccine has been offered out to the following people:
- Frontline health and social care staff
- Elderly care home residents
- Clinically extremely vulnerable people
- Over-16s with some health conditions which increase their risk from Covid-19
- Adult carers of disabled people and younger adults in care homes
- Over-40s in England
- Over-40s in Scotland
- Over-30s in Wales
- Over-30s in Northern Ireland
When will people under 30 be vaccinated?
In England, those aged 30 and above, and 18-29 will be the next to be invited, as the government remains dedicated to its target of having all adults vaccinated by the end of July.
There are currently no concrete dates for when each age group will begin to be offered the vaccine.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have not yet outlined when under 30s can expect to get an invitation to book a jab.
Post-summer roll-out, it is expected that people aged 70 and over will begin receiving booster jabs from September to protect them against new coronavirus variants.
Children are currently not being vaccinated, but there are suggestions they could be from September.
How will I be invited to get the vaccine?
The NHS will contact you once you are eligible to receive the vaccine, inviting you to book an appointment.
If you are registered with a GP, then they will be in contact via phone, text, email or post, in order to book in to receive a vaccine at your local vaccination centre.
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