Britain to ‘consider fourth Covid jab’ as Israel and Germany give green light to second booster
BRITAIN is set to consider a FOURTH Covid-19 jab as Israel and Germany gave the green light to a second booster rollout.
Top docs are evaluating how much immunity is given by three jabs, after bombshell findings showed the highly infectious Omicron variant is milder than other strains.
Brits with weakened immune system are the only group currently offered a fourth jab, but any new rollout could see the elderly and the vulnerable offered one too.
Research by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) began after both Israel and Germany opted to push ahead with their second booster drives.
But British scientists will no doubt be more reticent to give it the green light, with the first booster jab rollout still well underway across the UK.
Thousands of Brits have already signed up to The Sun's Jabs Army campaign in bid to slow the spread of Omicron this winter.
Boris Johnson yesterday told The Sun that a booster jab is the best Christmas gift you can give your family - as data revealed Omicron is half as likely to put people in hospital as previous variants.
A booster shot is the best protection against Omicron, with early data suggesting it pushes efficacy back up to 75 per cent.
Most read in The Sun
Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive said: “Once again, we urge everyone who is able to get a booster jab to come forward and do so. It is the best defence we have against this highly transmissible new variant."
On introducing a fourth jab, deputy chair of the JCVI told : "We need to see more data.
"We are in different circumstances to Israel and we need to see more data on waning immunity and vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation."
The second booster would likely need to be put into arms at least four months after the first booster was given.
This means that, should the rollout be approved soon, any potential extra shots could be offered to Brits early next year.
Israel has approved the dose for over-60s, the immunocompromised and healthcare workers.
Israeli Pandemic Expert Committee member Professor Nadav Davidovitch told the paper: "We are seeing waning immunity, reflected in the reduction of antibodies and also in breakthrough infections, in people that got the third dose.
"It’s a bit similar to the situation with the second dose several months ago.
"Due to this, some of us thought that those who are more than four months after their third dose ought to be vaccinated."
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said: "An offensive booster campaign is our most important building block in the fight against Omicron."
read more on the sun
