Online booking for Covid booster jabs expands to millions of people over 40

Following Boris Johnson’s demands that the vaccine rollout needed to go faster, a further seven million more people aged over 40 will be able to book booster vaccinations.

After the vaccination programme was extended nine days ago to reduce the effects of Omicron variant, those aged over 40 who have received their second jab more than three months ago will now be able to book appointments online.

People will be able to book appointments up to a month in advance of becoming eligible, along with those who have chronic conditions.

A delay in implementing this policy had been blamed on a dispute between public health chiefs and the NHS but the issue has now been resolved.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation halved the gap between second and third doses to three months and said that all over-18s should have boosters, in an announcement last week.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government for being slow to step up the booster programme more than a week after promising to put it “on steroids” in the face of the new variant.