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Google PlayBoosters will be needed in September as COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout the UK, a government vaccines expert has warned.
According to new survey data from the Office for National Statistics, the number of COVID-19 infections across the UK has increased to roughly 500,000 in the past week, with cases being driven by the two faster-spreading sub-variants of the Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5 variants. In the same period, there had been a 34% increase in patients admitted to hospital and a 22% increase in deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
The figures follow warnings that the UK has hit its fifth wave from UK experts who have stressed renewed efforts to increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly among older adults and other vulnerable groups who are eligible for four or more jabs.
Speaking to the BBC recently, Professor Adam Finn—a member of the government’s Joint Committee on Immunisations and Vaccinations—suggested a fifth jab will need to be rolled out for the most vulnerable.
“The booster protection does fade, particularly against milder infection and after a while against severe infection as well. So that’s a disappointment for us all with regards to these vaccines which have otherwise been very valuable in terms of the pandemic,” he said. “But we are going to need to provide boosters, particularly to people who are at risk getting very seriously ill if they get it later in the year.”
He also suggested that September would be a good time to start a rollout of booster campaigns when the NHS usually also begins rolling out flu vaccines.
He added: “The booster protection does fade, particularly against milder infection and after a while against severe infection as well. So that’s a disappointment for us all with regards to these vaccines which have otherwise been very valuable in terms of the pandemic. But we are going to need to provide boosters, particularly to people who are at risk getting very seriously ill if they get it later in the year.”
The JCVI member warned the UK may face the threat of a “significant flu epidemic” this winter as cases in the southern hemisphere rise.
“With each passing winter lack of flu the concern is the immunity in the population against flu is lower and lower so the potential for a having a really big flu epidemic goes up and up so we’re getting increasing worried. The picture in the southern hemisphere suggests that quite a significant flu epidemic might occur here in the north this coming winter,” he said.
