The third doses have been booked as NHS bosses said the roll-out will be sped up from 13 December at the latest following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
From that date, or earlier, the online booking system forvaccines will be updated in order to allow people to book their booster jab three months after their second dose.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson accepted experts' advice to slash the waiting time for a booster dose from six months to three months, following the discovery of the Omicron variant.In a letter to local health leaders, the chiefs of NHS England set out plans for the ramping up of the roll-out in the coming weeks.
They said, in line with advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation , that"the NHS will offer vaccination in descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a COVID-19 at-risk group first". The letter added that"the National Booking Service is now being updated to reflect the three-month interval from second dose to booster".NHS bosses also confirmed that GP surgeries will be able to postpone some routine health checks in order to focus on delivering booster jabs.
"From 1 December 2021 to 31 March 2022, where contractors consider it clinically appropriate, routine health checks for those over 75 and for new patients may be deferred," the letter said.
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