Twenty-six million Brits to be jabbed with dual strain Covid booster which 'broadens immunity'
16 August 2022, 11:39 | Updated: 16 August 2022, 11:42
Vaccines Minister explains new dual-strain Covid vaccine
Vaccines minister Maggie Throup told LBC the Moderna bivalent Covid-19 jab "Dual strain " ahead of the autumn booster programme.
The UK became the first country in the world to approve Moderna's bivalent vaccine, which targets both the original strain of the virus and the Omicron variant, but it emerged that the country does not have enough doses to offer the new jab to all people eligible for the booster.
Some 26 million people will be invited to come forward for a booster jab in the autumn but it is understood that only 13 million of the new bivalent Moderna jabs are available.
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast the Health Minister said: "There's two parts to it: it will provide the immunity against the original variant and against the Omicron variant, so it broadens our immunity," she said.
"It gives us a better chance to cover every aspect of Covid that we've got around at the moment and hopefully that will help prevent infection, hospitalisation that need to go into intensive care, and hopefully deaths as well.
"So it's really good news. Let's just say we'll be rolling it out as part of the autumn booster programme.
"We're going to start rolling it out early September and, as in other programmes, we'll be starting with those most at risk first - that's the elderly and those who have got certain clinical conditions."
Asked about the impact the cost-of-living crisis will have on health, public health and vaccines minister Maggie Throup said that "if people are reassured about their own health, then it helps to take the pressure off some of the other concerns that they may have".
LBC's Nick Ferrari said: "A lot of people saying they're so concerned about energy prices, they won't be able to turn the gas up and it is feared more people will die than is usual."
Ms Throup responded: "Well, that is a concern, it's something that we've taken into consideration when we looked at our vaccination programmes.
"We are rolling out the Covid jab, we're also rolling out the flu jab, providing as much protection as we can to those who are most vulnerable, and where possible will be co-administrating the flu and the Covid job so people can have both jabs at one go.
"And I think if people are reassured about their own health, then it helps to take the pressure off some of the other concerns that they may have.
"And yes, you're right, people who perhaps don't heat their homes as much we'll be more vulnerable. And that's why, as I say, we're putting that ring of protection around the most vulnerable with our vaccine programme."
