Have you had your Covid and flu jabs yet this autumn?

Who can get the Covid booster?

Everyone over 50 can now book their Covid booster. So far, more than 7 million over-65s (plus younger people at higher risk) have already had their jabs. Now another 12 million people are eligible. ‘Age remains the single biggest risk factor for getting complications or severe illness as a result of Covid or flu, so our message to all Saga customers is to come forward for flu and Covid jabs,’ says England’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Thomas Waite.
You don’t have to wait for an invitation from your GP. You can use a walk-in centre, book online at nhs.uk or call 119.

Is this booster the same as previous Covid jabs?

No. All booster jabs used this autumn will be one of the two new ‘bivalent’ vaccines. That means they’ve been reformulated so half the vaccine acts against the newer Omicron strains of Covid-19, and half targets the original coronavirus, so they should broaden your immunity. Moderna’s Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron was the first to be approved in August, and there’s a Pfizer one now too – Comirnaty bivalent Original/Omicron. Both were formulated to target the first strain of Omicron (BA1) but have been found in trials to give ‘good’ protection against the most recent Omicron strains, BA4 and BA5. You generally won’t be able to choose which booster you have. ‘There’s plenty of supply and plenty of vaccine centres and vaccinators,’ says Dr Waite.

Should we be worried that Covid cases are rising?

‘We’ve seen increases in all age groups and in all parts of the country throughout September,’ says Dr Waite. The latest figures for England, for example, show a 22% rise in cases in the last week of September, and a 33% rise in hospitalisations. One in 50 are estimated to have Covid in England and Wales, one in 45 in Scotland and one in 40 in Northern Ireland. ‘Vaccinations are our best defence against severe illness, and particularly important for those over 50,’ he adds. ‘It’s very unlikely we will see a return to the really quite disruptive interventions we saw early in the pandemic and that’s in no small part to the enormous work vaccines have done to reduce the severity of illness.’
He advises people to stay at home if they are ill, wash hands regularly, and delay visits to vulnerable people if feeling at all sniffly.

Do we really need another booster? Covid seems to be under control these days.

That’s largely down to vaccinations, which have been shown to prevent severe illness when you do catch Covid. ‘Keeping that immunity topped up is really important, especially going into winter,’ says Dr Waite. ‘Case numbers are on their way up and so are the number of people going into hospital with Covid. That’s a reason to get vaccinated.’ 

Should we worry about flu this winter?

Yes. We’ve had a fairly easy couple of years with flu – probably because Covid restrictions limiting indoor gatherings have also resulted in fewer flu infections. Doctors are expecting more cases this season as we head back to normal life. Southern hemisphere countries, like Australia, experienced high winter numbers. ‘Australia had quite an early flu season. The number of cases was higher and went up very quickly, compared to some previous years, and affected all parts of the country,’ says Dr Waite. ‘I’d encourage everyone eligible to come forward and get a flu vaccine. It’s usually sometime between early October and Christmas that we see a flu wave get going. It’s best to get vaccinated before that wave gets started so it’s had a chance to work by the time you meet flu.’ It takes 7-10 days for a flu vaccine to reach maximum protection. 
All over-50s can now have a flu jab, either through their GP surgery or at a pharmacy. See the full list of pharmacies offering NHS flu jabs. Call 119 if you need help. In 200 pilot areas you can book your flu jab online for the first time.

Is it safe to get both vaccines at the same time?

Yes, says Dr Waite. ‘We know that it’s safe from the huge numbers of studies done on both vaccinations. Many of the programmes we were used to as children and when bringing up our children give you quite a number of different vaccines at the same time. We know it’s safe, as well as convenient, and where possible it’s being offered as a combination: you can have one in each arm. The most common side effects are a sore arm or a mild fever for a day or two afterwards, so you may as well have them both at the same time and control that with plenty of fluids and paracetamol, which are both very effective.’