The first Covid-19 booster vaccinations have been administered in Devon.

The jabs are being offered to people most at risk from Covid-19 who have already had two doses of a vaccine. In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, they will receive either one dose of the Pfizer vaccine or half a dose of the Moderna vaccine.

The priority list includes:

• people aged 50 and over
• residents of care homes for older adults
• frontline health and social care workers
• people aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19
• carers aged 16 and over
• people aged 16 and over who live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone who has HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis)

People who are pregnant and in one of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.

How can I get my booster?

The NHS will contact all those who are eligible for the jab by letter, text or email. Most will receive an invitation to book their booster dose through the National Booking Service within the next three weeks, and the jab will be given at least six months after they had their second dose. People are being urged not to contact the NHS for their booster dose before then.

The nearest mass vaccination sites for people in Dawlish are the Riviera Centre in Torquay and Newton Abbot Racecourse. The jabs will also be offered at pharmacies and GP practices, and there will be pop-up vaccine clinics, as with the initial vaccination programme.

Vaccine teams will visit care homes and offer both staff and residents the vaccine at the same time.

Third doses for people who are severely immunosuppressed

A third dose is being offered to people over 12 who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose, including those with leukaemia, advanced HIV and recent organ transplants. This offer is separate to the booster programme.

These people may not have a full immune response to vaccination and therefore may be less protected than the wider population. These patients are being identified through their GP or consultant and invited to book their third dose. There has been high take-up of this offer in Devon.