Oxford vaccine chief slammed UK Covid booster vaccine plan

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The leading vaccination expert has criticized Britain’s Covid booster jab plans and said stocks must first go to unvaccinated people overseas.

But Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, chair of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said supplies would be better used in countries where people at risk had not been vaccinated before UK booster programmes, or vaccinated children.

He stressed that a booster dose of Covid-19 may not be needed in the fall and that the doses needed to go where could have “the biggest impact”.

“The time we need to ramp up is if we see evidence of an increase in hospitalization or death of people among those vaccinated,” he said. “That’s not something we’re seeing at the moment.”

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The data shows that vaccines hold up against the coronavirus and protect the distressed from severe illness and death, according to the expert.

“We don’t see a problem with severe disease penetration and we have this understanding of biology that puts us in a good place to know that even if we start to see some diminishment in protection, it won’t be a complete cessation of protection.”

“Even as immunity levels start to drop, our immune system still remembers that we were vaccinated and will remember decades from now that we had those two doses of the vaccine. So at this moment there is no reason to panic.”

Under potential booster plans, a third Covid vaccine could be offered to all people over 50 who are clinically at risk in addition to a flu shot between September and mid-December.

The proposals have been made public so that the NHS can prepare for the program while more information is collected on whether a booster campaign is necessary.

The Minister of Health is still waiting for the final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization which is advising the government.

“When we get that advice we’ll be able to start the booster program, but I expect it to start in early September, so I’m already making plans for that,” said Mr. Javid.

“In terms of vaccination as well, it’s important to say that they work.”

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