Around 700,000 Britons will receive a free coronavirus booster shot this week.

Around 700,000 people are set to receive free coronavirus vaccinations in the UK this week as the spring booster campaign begins.

boot Mondayelderly people and people with weakened immune systems can receive free vaccinations to reduce the impact of the disease.

About 48,400 vaccines have already been distributed to adults in residential care facilities, and vaccine teams have visited about 3,400 facilities as of Thursday, April 18, officials said.

Vaccines significantly reduce the chance of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. This is especially important for those at highest risk of complications.

Follow-up doses help maintain existing defenses against the disease that may wane over time.

Steve Russell, director of vaccines and immunization at the country's public health system, the National Health Service, said data from last year showed that people who received the spring jab were up to 50% more likely to stay in hospital for three to four months. It was low.” after that. “

Officials called on eligible members of the public to make vaccination appointments. last week. These individuals will also be invited to make reservations by phone, letter, or email.

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private vaccines For the first time ever, it is also available in the UK.

Who is eligible and why?

Scientists from the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization are advising health leaders on vaccine eligibility. They compare the evidence about the benefits and risks of vaccination against the risks of the diseases it targets to come up with recommendations.

In February, JCVI scientists recommended giving a booster People aged 75 and over, people living in elderly care homes, and people over 6 months old with weakened immune systems are eligible.

This includes people whose immune systems are weakened by treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, certain immunosuppressants, and organ transplants. It also includes people with certain health conditions that affect the immune system, such as multiple myeloma, HIV infection, and certain genetic disorders.

A complete list of associated immunosuppressive conditions can be found on the next page. UK's Green Book on COVID-19 24.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, JCVI's head of COVID-19 vaccination, said at the time: “The spring program will continue to focus on those most at risk of severe disease and who would benefit most from further vaccination. “We will guess.”

“It is important that everyone who is eligible receives that offer this spring,” he said. in a statement. “Current vaccines offer excellent protection against severe disease and hospitalization, and can protect the most vulnerable from death.”

Mary Ramsay, director of public health programs at the UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA), said that “ongoing surveillance” meant that COVID-19 remains “a serious threat, especially for older people and people who are immunosuppressed.” This suggests that it is causing a disease.

But the data “clearly shows that the spring and fall booster campaigns were effective in protecting those most at risk and were effective in halving the likelihood of hospitalization due to the virus.” ” she added.

A strained medical system

Minimizing the impact of coronavirus on England's public health system remains critical as hospitals struggle to keep up with demand for services.

This country is experiencing the following emergency medical crisis There is a lack of available hospital beds, leading to long wait times for admission, overcrowding in emergency departments, and delays in ambulance service.

There are many factors behind this crisis, including a lack of social care capacity for people who are medically fit to leave hospital but need extra support in the community to safely leave hospital. .

Perhaps long wait times for elective surgeries, made worse by a pandemic that has led to widespread surgery cancellations, are leaving people sicker than they would have been had they been seen sooner.

An aging population and growing inequality are also contributing to increased demand for services.

Researchers are still figuring out the true impact of the coronavirus on this country. Last month, statisticians revealed that the disease is believed to be a major health cause. UK health expectancy decline.