Vaccine dash: NHS will urge 650,000 Brits to get 2nd jab early

NHS will text 650,000 Brits urging them to get their second Covid jab early as part of last minute vaccine blitz ahead of Freedom Day

  • England’s vaccine boss says now is the most important time to get the 2nd jab 
  • New drive comes after twelve week period between jabs slashed to eight
  • 6 out of 10 young adults in England have already had their first vaccine

NHS England will send text messages to more than half a million people urging them to get their second Covid jab early as part of a last minute vaccine dash ahead of Freedom Day.

About 650,000, mostly young, people who have been waiting eight or more weeks for their second dose will receive a text from ‘NHSvaccine’ in the coming days.  

Government figures show that the UK hit its target of getting two-thirds of all adults fully vaccinated on July 14, five days ahead of schedule.

But soaring Covid case numbers and rising hospital admissions have given ministers fresh impetus to get even more people fully protected before the country lifts most remaining restrictions on Monday.

It follows a change of policy from No10’s vaccine advisors who have slashed the minimum wait time between Covid jabs to eight weeks.

Previously, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises No10 on the Covid vaccine rollout, recommended people wait 12 weeks for their second vaccine.

Sir Keith Willett, head of the Covid vaccination programme in England, urged all those who had previously booked their second Covid jab for 12 weeks after their first to now bring it forward.

‘The crucial second dose gives maximum protection against the virus and it will protect you, your family and those around you,’ he said.

NHS England will send text messages to more than half a million people urging them to get their second Covid jab early as part of a last minute vaccine dash before Freedom Day 

 

‘As we approach 19 July, there has never been a more important time to get jabbed and it has never been easier – from pop-up sites in the community to walk in centres, NHS staff are going to great lengths to ensure vaccines are as convenient as possible.’ 

NHS England data shows that as of July 13, 38 million people in England had received their first Covid vaccine and 29 million had received their second dose, leaving 9million or so in the queue to get fully vaccinated.

But even after getting their second Covid jab it will still be weeks until people’s immunity builds to the point where they have the best protection from the virus.

Ministers set up a potential Covid clash with owners of nightclubs and other large venues today with a threat to force them to use Covid passports to admit revellers.

From July 19 places which host mass entertainment events indoors are being urged to require ‘Covid certification’ of vaccination status as a condition of entry.

But guidance released by the Government last night warned that it will consider making the system ‘mandatory’ in future if steps to limit the spread of Covid are not taken by firms.

The small print could set up a bitter row with businesses, after nightlife firms suggested that the passports would seriously impede their operation.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said : ‘We are hugely concerned that the Government have caused yet more confusion by suggesting these measures are not mandatory while, at the same time, the details reveal clearly that this could well be the case in future.

‘This type of ambiguous communication is creating chaos amongst customers and operators, and presents a very different ”Freedom Day” to what we have all looked forward to.’

Peter Marks, chief executive of REKOM UK, which owns 42 nightclubs including chains Pryzm, Bar&Beyond, Eden and Fiction, last night said he was ‘thrilled’ to be able to reopen next Monday ‘at full capacity and without any requirement for a negative Covid test, something we believe would create a barrier to both customer enjoyment and getting the industry back on its feet’.

He said reopened nightclubs will operate as pubs are currently running, adding: ‘We’re able to open in this way because nightclubs in particular are among the best equipped venues in the hospitality sector, and indeed were even prior to the pandemic, for the exact safety measures that are required to reduce the spread of the virus.

‘These include air ventilation systems in all our venues which change air every five minutes on average, sanitisation stations throughout all our clubs, increased frequency of cleaning schedules compared to before the pandemic, and highly trained staff and experienced door staff who are well-versed in crowd management protocols.

‘Together, these measures mean that clubs are well placed to open and provide unforgettable nights out once again.’

Ministers would not say exactly which venues would be encouraged to bring in the passports – but did say they included places where people were ‘likely to be in close proximity to others outside their household’.

This could mean theatres, cinemas, busy pubs, indoor concerts and any other crowded indoor event.

This means, despite the Government trying to get 650,000 extra people fully vaccinated before restrictions are lifted on July 19, none of these people will have the full protection from the virus at that point.

Public Health England evidence shows jabs cut the risk of infection by between 55 and 70 per cent after one dose, but that this rises to 65 to 90 per cent after two. 

It is expected, however, that the majority of the people contacted by text for the second jab will be in the younger age demographic, who are at a lower risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid, with four in five people aged 40 and over in England already double jabbed as of 4 July according to NHS data.

This compares to six out of ten 18 to 24 year olds in England receiving their first Covid jab as of July 4. 

Government data shows 35.2million over-18s (67 per cent) are fully-vaccinated. And around 46million (87 per cent) have had their first jab. 

Meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson and several Cabinet minister are also trying to convince 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK not to delete the NHS Test and Track app ahead of July 19. 

Polling suggests more than a third of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK have already deleted the app, with another third saying they were considering wiping it from their phones within the next week, according to a poll by agency Savanta ComRes revealed in the Guardian.

Self-isolation rules aren’t due to be relaxed for fully jabbed Britons until mid-August, which has led to fears many will delete the app in case a surge in infections post Freedom Day means they get ‘pinged’ and have to quarantine.

Everyone who gets alerted is advised to self-isolate for ten days, even if a person has been given both doses of the vaccine or can prove a negative test.

But from August 16, double-vaccinated Britons will not have to isolate if they are alerted by the app. 

Britain yesterday recorded 42,302 new Covid cases, up 27 per cent on last week. Ministers have warned the country could hit 100,000 daily cases before the end of August.

Government efforts to get younger people jabbed ahead of July 19 also comes as ministers threaten to force nightclubs to use Covid passports to admit revellers.

From July 19, places which host mass entertainment events indoors are being urged to require ‘Covid certification’ of vaccination status as a condition of entry.

But guidance released by the Government has warned that it will consider making the system ‘mandatory’ in future if steps to limit the spread of Covid are not taken by firms.

The smallprint could set up a bitter row with businesses, after nightlife firms suggested that the passports would grind their entry systems to a halt and turn customers away.

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said: ‘We are hugely concerned that the Government have caused yet more confusion by suggesting these measures are not mandatory while, at the same time, the details reveal clearly that this could well be the case in future.

‘This type of ambiguous communication is creating chaos amongst customers and operators, and presents a very different ”Freedom Day” to what we have all looked forward to.’

Peter Marks, chief executive of REKOM UK, which owns 42 nightclubs including chains Pryzm, Bar&Beyond, Eden and Fiction, last night said he was ‘thrilled’ to be able to reopen next Monday ‘at full capacity and without any requirement for a negative Covid test, something we believe would create a barrier to both customer enjoyment and getting the industry back on its feet’.

He said reopened nightclubs will operate as pubs are currently running, adding: ‘We’re able to open in this way because nightclubs in particular are among the best equipped venues in the hospitality sector, and indeed were even prior to the pandemic, for the exact safety measures that are required to reduce the spread of the virus.

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