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Islanders aged 50 or over and those deemed clinically ‘at-risk’ are being invited to have their second doses of the covid vaccine sooner than originally scheduled in response to concerns over a new variant.
The group were originally told to expect their second doses up to 12 weeks after their first, but those who had their first dose over five weeks ago are now due to be contacted in the coming days via text, email or phone call to schedule their second.
Anyone within the age group who hasn’t yet had their first dose is also being urged to book a covid jab.
The change in schedule follows updated advice from the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), to protect against rising cases of the B1.617.1 variant of concern, which was first identified in India.
Jersey recently stepped up its variant monitoring with faster sequencing and sewage monitoring. So far, the new variant of concern from India has not been detected in Jersey, but it is fast spreading in the UK.
Pictured: Dr Ivan Muscat said the island had been speaking to a provider that would be able to turn around variant tests within 48 hours.
Today, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock revealed that cases of the variant had almost doubled in four days to 2,323 cases.
He told the Commons that 483 of those cases are based in Bolton and Blackburn, which are ‘red’ and ‘amber’ respectively under Jersey’s current travel classification system.
However, from 28 May, regional classifications will be replaced with country-wide rankings for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
“While there is no current evidence to show [the B1.617.1] variant has a greater impact on severity of disease, it is more transmissible and seems to be infecting more young people,” Jersey’s Deputy Medical Officer of Health, Dr Ivan Muscat, explained.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care @MattHancock is giving an update on Covid-19.
— UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) May 17, 2021
Watch live https://t.co/Yb7ZulrOhD
“However, severity of covid-19 is greater with increasing age, and two doses of the vaccine offer the best protection against this new variant. The doubling time in the UK appears to be about seven days and the speed of spread of this variant, which is now noted across the UK, requires us to work quickly to ensure the appropriate action is being taken as a safeguard for Jersey.
“While there is no evidence of the B1.617.1 variant in the island, we continue to follow the advice of the JCVI to ensure our vaccination programme is aligned with the UK and we are giving the best protection to islanders.”
Vaccine Head Becky Sherrington assured islanders that the decision to invite over-50s to have their second dose sooner would not throw the programme’s current schedule off course, noting: “…We are still on track to have offered two doses of the vaccine to all eligible islanders by mid-August.”
Last week, the Government released the vaccine dates for all islanders aged 18 upwards, with 30 to 34-year-olds invited to start getting jabbed from last weekend.
Next in line are 25 to 29-year-olds, whose appointments start Saturday 5 June, and 18 to 24-year-olds, starting Saturday 19 June.
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