Sajid Javid, Health Minister, said he has plans in place to give the most disadvantaged groups a booster Covid jab or a third of the same vaccine early next month.
But, the Oxford Vaccine Group chief said doses had to be distributed “where they can have maximum impact” – so that unvaccinated people in other countries are protected.
Prof Sir Andrew Pollard stated that the UK had no reason to panic right now.
Mr Javid stated he would wait until the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) final advice.
He said, “My goal is to offer flu vaccine, especially for over-50s, at one time.”
Researchers expect a larger flu season than usual. They warn that respiratory virus will make a return after last year’s disappearance during lockdown.
NHS officials had previously stated that they needed to know a lot about a Covid booster program before planning the logistics of immunizing millions of people against both diseases.
Prof Pollard was part of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccination team. He said that decision-making about boosters should be “scientifically driven”.
He said that evidence of an increase or decrease in hospitalization, which is the next stage, would be people dying among those who were vaccinated, would be a good indication that we should boost our efforts.
“And we don’t see that at the moment.”
Professor Pollard said to the all-party coronavirus parliamentary group that people’s immunity systems would remember for “decades” whether they had received two doses. This would help them against Covid-19.
“We don’t see a problem of breakthrough severe disease, and we have this knowledge of the biology which places us in a position to know that even when we begin to notice some waning protection, that wouldn’t be a complete switching-off of our protection,” he stated.
“Herd immunity not possible”
Prof Pollard also warned against herd immunity because the delta virus would continue to infect people who were vaccinated.
He claimed that even if every child was vaccinated it would not stop the transmission of the disease.
He explained that over time, it was important to shift away from community-based testing for mild infections (which will boost people’s immunity) to clinically-driven testing to determine if people become unwell.
Prof Pollard believes that it is important to improve the care of patients who are hospitalized for Covid-related illnesses.