"This vaccine rollout extension will help bear down on transmission and case rates, which are still worryingly high in parts of the country, despite recent trends."
Responding to the announcement on offering a booster coronavirus vaccine to all adults aged 40 to 49 and for all 16-17 year olds to be offered a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Vaccination is ultimately our route out of this pandemic and it is encouraging that millions of eligible people have already received their booster dose during what will be another challenging winter.
“This vaccine rollout extension will help bear down on transmission and case rates, which are still worryingly high in parts of the country, despite recent trends.
“The COVID-19 booster and flu jab programmes are mission critical to keeping our population safe and it is essential that we continue to take all necessary measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
“This includes continuing to minimise the spread of the virus through measures such as regular testing, getting your COVID-19 vaccine whether it be your first, second or booster dose and taking any other steps to reduce transmission, such as wearing face masks in crowded spaces.”