LONDON (AP) — The U.K. will offer a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to everyone over 50 and other vulnerable people after an expert panel said the boosters were needed to protect against waning immunity this winter.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers that the government had accepted the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization and would start offering booster shots next week.
The World Health Organization has asked wealthy nations to delay booster shots until every country has vaccinated at least 40% of their populations.
According to the Associated Press, the panel said anyone over the age of 50 should receive the boosters shots six months after they received their second dose of COVID vaccinations.
News of England offering the booster shots comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) has asked those with mass amounts of the vaccines to wait until the end of the year to give the booster shots until poorer countries could receive doses, the AP reported.