THE most vulnerable people in society could get their Covid-19 boost vaccine from September to ensure their protection is maintained through winter.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has issued an interim plan to offer booster jabs to prolong the protection created by the first two doses.

The final advice will be published in September taking into account the latest situation around Covid and any new scientific data on the Cov-Boost trial and the effectiveness of vaccines over time, and emerging variants.

The Government is working closely with the NHS to ensure if a booster programme is needed it can be deployed rapidly in September.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We welcome this interim advice, which will help us ensure we are ready in our preparations for Autumn.

"We look forward to receiving the Committee’s final advice in due course.

“We need to learn to live with this virus. Our first COVID-19 vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country, and our booster programme will protect this freedom.

"We are working with the NHS to make sure we can rapidly deliver this programme to maintain protection for people in the winter months.”

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi added: “Our COVID-19 vaccination programme has been a roaring success.

“We are now planning ahead to future-proof this progress and protect our most vulnerable from variants and flu ahead of the winter.

“Vaccines are the best way to stay on top of this virus and I urge everybody to take up the offer as soon as possible.”

The JCVI is currently advising the booster jab is administered in two stages alongside the annual flu jab.

People in the first stage are immunosuppressed adults, the elderly living in care homes, all adults aged 70 and over, clinically extremely vulnerable adults, and frontline health and social care workers.

Stage two will include all over 50s, all adults under 50 who are in an at-risk group for Covid or flu, and household contacts of immunosuppressed people.

The JCVI is saying that equal emphasis needs to be put on getting both the Covid booster and the flu jab.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: “Where the UK has reached so far on vaccination is truly fantastic. 

“Being able to manage COVID-19 with fewer or no restrictions is now heavily dependent on the continued success of the vaccination programme.

"We want to be on the front foot for COVID-19 booster vaccination to keep the probability of loss of vaccine protection due to waning immunity or variants as low as possible, especially over the coming autumn and winter.

“Fewer or no restrictions will mean that other respiratory viruses, particularly flu, will make a comeback and quite possibly be an additional problem this winter, so we will need to ensure protection against flu as well as maintaining protection against COVID-19."

All adults who have not yet had their Covid vaccine are being urged to come forward to get the jab as soon as possible.