Eligible patients can now get another Covid vaccine for better protection against more recent strains of the virus. The NHS has started administering a spring booster jab to certain groups of people.
It comes as the virus continues to claim the lives of 100 people a week in England.
The vaccine is offered to those aged 75 and above as well as residents in care homes for the elderly, and individuals aged six months and over with compromised immune systems.
Appointments will be scheduled between now and June, prioritising those at the highest risk.
If you’re turning 75 between April and June, there’s no need to wait until your birthday – you can get vaccinated when called upon.
To arrange your appointment you may be invited by your GP or you can book through the NHS app on your smartphone.
You could also locate your nearest walk-in vaccination site via the NHS website.
Those receiving the jab will be given a booster dose of a vaccine produced by Pfizer or Moderna and approved in the UK.
These vaccines have been updated from their original versions to target different COVID-19 variants.
As reported by Bristol Live, the updated vaccines provide slightly higher levels of antibodies against more recent strains of COVID-19, such as Omicron.
Recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates a slight rise in the number of Covid cases in England, with 1,206 positive tests reported in the last week of March.
There were also more than 100 deaths in the same week.
However, these statistics won’t be updated until May due to changes in the Government’s reporting of Covid figures.
Currently the variant known as JN.1 is thought to be among the most common types of the virus doing the rounds.
Covid symptoms can vary from person but the NHS lists common signs as:
- A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more Coughing episodes in 24 hours
- A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick.
You are no longer required to do a lateral flow test if you think you have Covid, but you may want to check whether you have it as you may prefer to stay at home while you’re testing positive.
The NHS recommends people “try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day you took your test”.
