Younger people urged to 'wait their turn' for covid vaccine booster as Sunderland teams roll out jabs

It comes after it was announced the Covid-19 booster programme will be extended to include a third jab for those under 40, along with the reduction of the time between second and third doses from six months to three months.

Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Governing Body heard on Tuesday they have had no further operational details on the latest booster roll-out, with information expected in next few weeks.

Tracey Teasdale, of the Sunderland GP Alliance, has therefore urged younger residents to await further contact before attempting to get their booster jab, to allow for elderly residents to be catered for first.

She said: “There is a very, very clear and very specific ask that we need to get out to the public.

“If you are a resident younger than the age of 40, please do not ring your GP [about the booster vaccine] at the moment and do not attend a walk-in vaccination clinic.

“Please bear with us, wait your turn and we will get to you as soon as we are able to.”

She added plans are in place to communicate with GP practices over the issue and spread such messaging through social media.

She continued: “What we are concerned about is that younger, fitter, healthier residents would come into the vaccination programme before we can vaccinate them, and get ahead of more vulnerable older patients who really, really need to get in and have their booster done.”

The meeting also heard Sunderland was doing “incredibly well” in its vaccination take-up, while 80,000 residents have already received a booster jab.

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