Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said that the rollout of a fourth Covid vaccine dose is being ‘kept under review’ amid rising cases in the UK.
Javid said that ministers would continue to follow advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), after figures showed a spike in infection rates in all four home nations.
He spoke out during a visit to Birmingham Children’s Hospital today when he was asked whether he intended to bring forward a fourth booster shot.
He said: "When it comes to vaccinations and any future vaccinations, we listen carefully to what our expert advisers have to say in the JCVI.
"They have said recently... that certainly for groups of people, the over-75s, immunosuppressed, those in residential care homes, they will receive a second booster shot... a fourth dose, and that will begin in the coming weeks.
"We are preparing for that, and that will be recommended for those that have had at least a six-month gap between that dose and their previous one."
When pushed further, he added: "We keep it under review, but the right thing to do is to listen to the expert advice... I'm very confident with our approach."
In February last month, Mr Javid said that the most vulnerable and at risk groups would receive a fourth dose in coming weeks.
This was to help ensure they maintained a high-enough level of protection against the deadly virus.
Those who are eligible will be offered the jab around six months after their last dose.
The latest figures have shown that, for the first time since the end of January, all four home nations have seen week-on-week spikes in infections.
Figures published by the ONS infection survey show that, across the UK as a whole, 2.6 million people were estimated to have coronavirus last week.
That number stood at 4.3 million at the start of the year, however this is a rise from 2.4 million.
Mr Javid said the Government was "continuing to monitor the situation very carefully" in response to a rise in Covid-19 infections among the elderly and in children's hospitals.
"Obviously we monitor the situation regularly, we keep it under review, but at this stage things are very steady as we learn to live with Covid," he said.
"It does underline the importance of the defences we have built. Getting vaccinated, particularly if you haven't been vaccinated already, is very important.
"Whilst it's great to see, when it comes to the boosters, eight out of 10 adults have had their booster shots, those two out of 10 that have not yet come forward - it's still a very good time to come forward."
