Since the end of last year, an astonishing 37 million people in the UK have had their Covid booster to protect them against the Omicron variant that has been sweeping the country

Since the end of last year, an astonishing 37 million people in the UK have had their Covid booster to protect them against the Omicron variant that has been sweeping the country.

But some people have yet to come forward because they either have concerns about the jab or are convinced they don’t need it.

So we asked experts, including GPs, pharmacists and immunologists, to address their concerns and explain why it’s vital to be vaccinated for a third time.

Here’s what they said about some of the common myths surrounding the booster:

‘I’ve already had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine – am I not protected enough already?’

Sadly not.

The new Omicron variant is highly infectious and spreading fast and two jabs are not enough. Having the booster brings your protection against falling ill with Covid back up to above 88 per cent.

Dr Farzana Hussain, a GP in east London, explains: ‘We know that, with vaccines, their ability to fight infections goes down over time, and the booster vaccine gives us a really good top-up.

‘After the first two Covid injections, your immunity starts going down from about month four, by month six it does go down quite a lot more.

That’s why the gap [between the second and third jabs] is only three months.’ 

She advises that anyone who has already had Omicron to still get the booster jab: ‘It would be wrong to say having Covid doesn’t give you any immunity, but the booster will definitely top it up for you.’

‘I had my second dose of the vaccine not that long ago.
When can I get the booster shot?’

You can get a booster vaccine three months after your second dose.

If you fall ill with Covid around the time of your booster, wait until 28 days after the positive test before having the jab.

It’s also not too late to get the first or second dose.

‘Getting the vaccine has never been easier,’ says Professor Mahendra G Patel of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

‘If you have not yet had a Covid-19 vaccine, it’s not too late.
Appointments for first doses are still available for anyone who is unvaccinated.’

‘I have a condition that leaves me immunosuppressed and vulnerable to infection. Should I still be having the jab?’

If you are immunosuppressed, it’s more important to make sure you’re protected against Covid, and you may be eligible to receive a booster jab sooner than normal.

If you haven’t had yours, go to the NHS website to book an appointment or to find your nearest walk-in centre.

‘I’m worried about the side effects of the vaccine.

Is the booster safe?’

Absolutely. It’s been approved for use by the MHRA, an independent UK body which decides whether or not new treatments are safe for us to use.

Millions of people have now been protected from serious illness by three doses, and most of those who have experienced side effects say they are mild and last less than a day – unlike Covid, which can keep you off work for weeks.

‘The common side effects are a slightly sore arm, maybe a little bit of a fever for which you can take paracetamol and you might feel a little bit achy and fluey,’ says Dr Hussain.

‘These are side effects we’d expect with most vaccines – you might not even get them.’

‘Why should I get the booster vaccine?

I’m not clinically vulnerable’

Covid doesn’t work like that: many people in their nineties survive the infection, while younger people can end up in hospital, fighting for their lives.

Then there is long Covid to consider.
Around one in 20 people with the infection end up developing this serious and debilitating condition which can prevent them socialising, working and exercising for months, not to mention the strain it can put on relationships.

GP Dr Sophie Newton explains: ‘Even healthy, fit people can suffer a multitude of short- and long-term effects from catching Covid-19, and they can pass it on to people who are clinically vulnerable.

So it’s definitely worth getting the booster.’

Not only should it stop you getting seriously ill or even dying from the infection, it could also stop you passing it on to others who are clinically vulnerable. In fact, the unvaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalised than those who have had two doses of the vaccine and a booster.

Prof Patel explains: ‘Vaccines are the way out of this pandemic.

They are the best way to protect people from coronavirus and have saved countless lives in the UK. ‘Boosters give you the best possible protection against the virus and should significantly reduce your risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.’

‘I wash my hands regularly and wear a face covering in public – I’m already doing enough to protect myself’

While they are both important tools in the fight against Covid, nothing beats being fully vaccinated.

‘Those precautions are great,’ says Dr Hussain, ‘but if I was being attacked by someone outside my door, I would want to lock my door and also call the police – I wouldn’t sit there waiting for them to bang my door down. This is another tool.’

‘I’m pregnant and concerned about the efficacy of the vaccine.

Why should I get a booster?’

Unfortunately, being pregnant can put you at greater risk of getting seriously ill with Covid and this brings extra risks to your child and increases the chances of your baby being stillborn or premature.

The vaccine can help.
Almost all pregnant women (96.3 per cent) admitted to hospital between May and October last year with Covid symptoms were unvaccinated.

Of these, a third needed respiratory support and one in five of their babies needed to be delivered preterm to help them recover.

Many newborns needed neonatal care.

Dr Jen Jardine, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is seven months pregnant, and has had her booster jab to keep both her and her baby safe.

She says: ‘Both as a doctor and pregnant woman myself, we can now be very confident that the Covid-19 vaccinations provide the best possible protection for you and your unborn child against this virus.

‘I would strongly urge pregnant women like me, if you have not had the vaccine yet, to either speak to your GP or midwife if you still have questions and then book right away, today.’

Research has proved the jab is perfectly safe for mums-to-be.

‘Safety studies looking at more than 100,000 people who received doses one and two during pregnancy have shown that there’s no increased risk of pregnancy complications with the vaccines,’ says Dr Viki Male, a reproductive immunologist at Imperial College London.

‘Is the booster jab actually effective against the Omicron variant?’

Very much so – in fact having the booster makes the vaccine much more effective against this new variant than having just two jabs.

‘Two doses of the vaccine are very good at protecting against the Delta variant, but, as we know, the dominant variant now is Omicron,’ says Dr Male.

 ‘With Omicron, two doses of the vaccine are only 50 per cent protective against hospitalisation, and a third dose boosts that protection up to almost 90 per cent.’

‘I’m too busy to get my booster’

It’s never been easier or quicker to get the free jab. 

Book a specific date and time online, and it will take just a few minutes to receive the jab itself. 

f you’re never sure where you’ll be on a certain date, wait until you’re free and visit a walk-in clinic – they’re even open at weekends.

Dr Amir Khan, a GP in Bradford, says: ‘We know many people are juggling busy lives, which is exactly why the NHS is making it as easy as possible for you to get your booster.

‘New vaccination sites have been set up across the country, and existing sites have extended their opening hours so that as many people as possible can get jabbed, as soon as possible.’

<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-09908df0-7f5c-11ec-85c5-c997f8a48248" website booster jabs: We asked the experts to answer your questions