Covid-19: UK launches booster vaccine doses for priority groups

London - The third dose will be available in a vaccination campaign next week

The United Kingdom has begun to administer third coronavirus vaccine doses to medical and social care workers as part of their vaccination campaign, which will fully launch next week, the National Health Service said on Thursday.

The vaccination agencies are currently identifying those eligible for third doses.

“The NHS vaccination programme will now invite eligible people, who had their second Covid jab at least six months ago, for a top up,” the authority said in a statement.

The priority groups also include nursing home residents, adult house-contacts of “immunosuppressed individuals,” vulnerable people aged 16-49, and adults aged 50 and older, according to the statement.

Patients will be invited to vaccination without appointments once they become eligible, the service said, adding that around 4.5 million people from priority groups will receive shots in the coming weeks.

Earlier this week, the government allowed minors aged 12 to 15 to be offered one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine starting next week.

To date, 48.5 million people in the UK were vaccinated at least once, and 44.2 million people have received two doses.

• Europe