Britain preparing for booster dose; 35 million will buy Pfizer vaccine

The UK is preparing to give a booster dose of the vaccine in anticipation of another wave this coming winter that has brought Covid through vaccination. The government is planning to make booster doses safer for the elderly and those suffering from other ailments. As part of this, the government has taken steps to collect and store more vaccines.

Health Secretary Sajid Javed has said the UK has ordered the purchase of an additional 35 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to make it available by 2022. So far, the UK has purchased 540 million Covid doses from eight different brands from various companies.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, which met last month, had recommended to the government that those over the age of 50 be given a third dose of booster dose if needed from September. But the vaccine committee has not yet made a final decision on the matter. An additional 35 million Pfizer vascines are being purchased to ensure that there is no shortage of vaccines whenever a favorable decision is made.

The final decision on the booster will be based on the study reports on how long the safety of the first two doses will last. The UK is also preparing to run ahead of the rest of the world in terms of booster dosage, which has produced its own vaccine and started vaccination first and has driven Covid to some extent.

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