Invites for autumn Covid booster jabs will start being sent out this week

Invites for this autumn’s Covid vaccine boosters will start being sent out this week.

The rollout will begin at the start of September, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Those who are eligible and aged 18 or over will be offered a single dose of the newly-approved Moderna vaccine, which protects against the original strain of covid and the omicron variant. Those under 18 will be offered one dose of Pfizer.

Most of those eligible for the booster will receive a letter inviting them for an appointment.

Wales’ Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, said: “As the UK moves from a period of pandemic emergency response to recovery, our focus will be on protecting those in society who continue to be more at risk of severe Covid-19.

“Vaccines have had an enormous impact on the course of the pandemic and have helped to weaken the link between the virus, serious illness, hospitalisations and death. They have saved countless lives and given us the freedom and confidence to restart our lives.

“I urge anyone who is eligible and invited to have the autumn booster this year to take up the offer and I thank everyone working on the vaccination programme in Wales.”

Nesta Lloyd-Jones, assistant director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, welcomed the announcement.

Ms Lloyd-Jones said: “The COVID vaccines have enabled us to return to our ‘normal’ lives, but as we go into the autumn/winter period, pressures and demand on the health and social care system are higher than they’ve ever been. 

“Although the NHS, with their partners, are well-versed in scaled-up vaccination roll-outs, the autumn booster roll-out will still require massive logistical and workforce support to be successfully implemented.”