Only one in five under-75s who have weakened immune systems and not living in care homes have had a Covid jab in the spring booster campaign so far, i can reveal. The low take-up is fuelling concerns that many of the 1.4 million people in this group of ‘immunocompromised’ people, who are eligible for a free jab, face an increasing risk of serious illness and long Covid if they become infected – as the longer people go without a booster the weaker their immunity.
Experts across the board urged people with weakened immune systems to take up the offer of a free booster. The situation is so bad that Blood Cancer UK, which represents more than a quarter of a million immunocompromised people, has issued a plea for them to get vaccinated . “People with blood cancer should continue to take up Covid-19 vaccines when offered through seasonal programmes as it protects them from serious illness and hospitalisation.
“Repeat vaccination is important,” said Blood Cancer UK co-chairpersons Professor Adrian Bloor and Professor Andrew Pettitt in a statement on behalf of the charity. The new uptake figures show that in England, just 294,299, or 21 per cent, of those eligible had a jab in the first five weeks of the spring booster campaign, to May 19th, according to analysis by Bob Hawkins, a data analyst who works with the Independent Sage group of Covid scientists. In Wales, the figure was 29 per cent, but that also included immunocompromised people over the age of 75 and also livi.
