Britain is planning to extend the COVID-19 booster dose rollout to people aged 40 to 49 years in an attempt to boost the dwindling immunity in the people.

At present, people above 50, those who are vulnerable and frontline healthcare workers are eligible to receive booster shots. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) stated that the rollout is going to be extended further.

The move comes after the UK Health Security Agency announced data from a real-world study showing that a booster dose was more than 90% protective against symptomatic COVID-19 for individuals 50 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are largely being used in Britain in the booster rollout. The study noted that a booster shot provided 93.1% protection against symptomatic disease for people who were initially administered the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the protection was 94% for people who had received the Pfizer vaccine initially… (ET Healthworld – Reuters, November 15, 2021)