Vaccine executives have offered contrasting opinions on booster shots.
AstraZeneca’s CEO, Pascal Soriot, said that yearly injections for healthy individuals would not be a wise use of tax dollars.
They are thought to be crucial for the aged and fragile. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph on encouraging healthy individuals, Mr. Soriot said: “I’m not sure it’s a particularly smart use of money.”
He said that vaccinations provide ‘long-term’ protection for healthy individuals, maybe for years.
However, Susan Rienow, CEO of vaccine manufacturer Pfizer, cautioned that the nation must “stay alert.”
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said that yearly injections for healthy individuals would not be a wise use of tax dollars.
It would be crucial, she continued, to ensure that people are increasing their immunity so we can keep them out of the hospital.
The UK’s booster program, which starts next month, delivers vaccinations to high-risk individuals and those who are over 50.
The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is no longer being ordered by the Department of Health and Social Care.
AstraZeneca wants more funding for immunocompromised patients receiving antibody therapies like its own, Evusheld.
The UK’s booster program, which starts next month, delivers vaccinations to high-risk individuals and those who are over 50. Above is a picture from a file.
The sort of vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna is the main concern of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI).
The marketing budget for Covid boosters and flu shots, which would have included television and print advertising, has apparently been cut by Health Secretary Steve Barclay.
Following an exceptionally poor flu season in Australia, which often predicts what we might anticipate in the winter, doctors are concerned about a “twindemic” of Covid and flu.
‘Vaccines provide the strongest defense against the virus and will help reduce strain on the NHS at its most challenging time of year,’ a Department of Health spokeswoman said. ‘We urge all those eligible to come forward as soon as they are contacted by the NHS.
‘This includes paid-for advertising and collaborations with charity and industry to reach our target audiences, as well as text message reminders for NHS app users, alongside the yearly flu vaccination campaign,’ he added, adding that “specific pathways” were being used to sell the vaccine.