United Kingdom's National Health Service warned the public that hundreds of thousands are at high risk for coronavirus, as many people are not yet vaccinated for their booster shots. They urged people to get their boosters ahead for the Christmas season.
People wait to receive a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at Babington Hospital in Belper on December 16, 2021 as the UK steps up the country's booster drive to fight a "tidal wave" of Omicron. - Britain recorded 78,610 coronavirus cases in laboratories yesterday, the highest daily total since the pandemic hit last year, as the country nervously awaits further evidence of the variant's severity and impact. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
(Photo : OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) People wait to receive a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at Babington Hospital in Belper on December 16, 2021 as the UK steps up the country's booster drive to fight a "tidal wave" of Omicron. - Britain recorded 78,610 coronavirus cases in laboratories yesterday, the highest daily total since the pandemic hit last year, as the country nervously awaits further evidence of the variant's severity and impact.
Covid Boosters Urged by NHS
As the Christmas season approaches, when potential mass gatherings may occur, the National Health Service of the United Kingdom has urged the public to obtain their booster shots. Hundreds of thousands of people are at high risk of being seriously ill with the coronavirus due to being unvaccinated by boosters.
Despite two-thirds of the 6.4 million with a medical condition being eligible for the shot, some are still not aware of this. According to a report from Independent, pregnant women, people with learning disabilities or severe mental illnesses, chronic conditions, blood cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma, are all eligible for the shot.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis stated, "The NHS is now urging everyone to check whether they or someone they know meets the criteria - and to go onto the National Booking Service and self-declare if they are yet to do so - it could be the best gift you give a loved one this Christmas."
NHS England's report stated more than 16 million people from the UK have already had a Covid-19 booster, while 18 million have only had a flu jab. Health experts also urged carers and household contacts to get a booster, especially with immune systems that are already weakened.
Despite the decline of Covid cases in the country, this warning is very timely, knowing that China received its first Covid-10 fatality last month since May. This is related to the resurgence of the Covid cases, which has been making waves for the past six months, as reported by The Strait Times.
Last September, Pfizer requested emergency authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration for its booster shot for children ages 5 to 11 as an effort to fight the recent subvariants of Omicron.
This booster dose, weighing 10 micrograms, was to neutralize the original strain and the Omicron variants to its following BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
The joint statement with Pfizer and BioNTech stated, "An application to extend the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine marketing authorization to include children ages 5 through 11 years will be submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in the coming days."
