Almost three-quarters of a million people could receive their booster jab this week as the NHS launches the spring round of its Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.
With over 320,000 people having already booked their appointment, approximately five million are eligible including people over 75, elderly social care residents and those aged five and older with a weakened immune system.
“With over 3,000 vaccination sites across England, it couldn’t be easier to get your jab when invited so please do not hesitate,” the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay said.
“The offer of a first and second dose of vaccine to healthy adults will also be ending on 30 June and I strongly encourage anyone who has not yet come forward to join the nearly 43 million who have already received both doses.”
On top of the 1.25 million invites already sent out so far, a further one million will be issued this week, marking the first time that millions of people have been sent their first invitations via the NHS App.
Barclay described using the NHS App for this purpose as a “fantastic example” of how the health service is harnessing the power of digital technology to enable easier patient access to its services.
This is just the latest example of how the NHS is continuing to make the most out of digital technologies to benefit patients up and down the country, following the recent news of the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered quit smoking app and the publication of NHS Providers’ last Digital Boards guide for health leaders.
To learn more about the NHS’s digital transformation journey, read the latest edition of our online magazine which features expert insight from leaders across the public, private, academic and voluntary sectors of healthcare.
