The UK is to roll out fourth ‘Covid’ jabs for the over-75s and vulnerable people as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to outline plans for Britain to ‘live with the virus’.
The government says that pharmaceutical interventions will ‘continue to be our first line of defence’, with the vaccine programme remaining ‘open to anyone who has not yet come forward’.
The Mail Online reports: Future vaccinations will be organised in a similar way to the annual flu programme and will focus on the elderly and immunosuppressed people.
The Government will keep some Covid tracking systems so it can provide a quick response if a more dangerous variant develops.
The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) will make decisions about booster campaigns in future.
This week Boris Johnson will this week do away with the legal duty to self-isolate if you test positive or are in close contact with someone who has Covid.
The power to impose lockdowns will also shift to local authorities.
The PM will give an upbeat assessment as he unveils his ‘Living with Covid Plan’ tomorrow, insisting vaccines and new treatments can be relied upon to keep the public safe.
As cases continue to tumble – down 25 per cent week-on-week – Mr Johnson is also announcing a timetable to end free lateral flow and PCR tests which are costing the taxpayer £2billion a week.
In a compromise between the Treasury and Department of Health, free tests are still likely to be available for more vulnerable and older age groups.
The Prime Minister said: ‘Covid will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms.