Who can get a Covid booster this spring and what do private jabs cost?
Around 7.5 million people in England are eligible for a top-up vaccination.
Many pharmacies also sell the Covid jab privately.
Eligible members of the public in England can have a spring booster between 1 April to 17 June.
Vaccinations are being offered to:
adults aged 75 years and over
residents in a care home for older adults
people aged between six months and 74 years who have a weakened immune system and are at a greater risk from severe illness
Those who turn 75 years old between 1 April and 17 June 2025 can also have the jab.
NHS England says it is contacting everyone who qualifies by text, email, app message or letter.
However, those who qualify do not have to wait for an invitation and can visit the NHS website, use the NHS app or call 119 to book an appointment.
In different parts of the UK, the groups who qualify for a spring booster are the same but the dates of the campaign are slightly different:
Scotland: 31 March until 30 June
Wales: 1 April until 30 June
Northern Ireland: 7 April until 30 June
The NHS uses vaccines from two companies across the UK: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
People are advised to take whichever vaccine they are offered, as both provide protection against severe illness or death.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency - based on the 2024 spring vaccination programme - showed those who received a vaccine were more than 40% less likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid for up to two months after their jab, compared to those who did not receive one.
AstraZeneca pulled its Covid vaccine worldwide because of the surplus of updated vaccines from its competitors.
At the firm's request, in May 2024, the European Medicines Authority withdrew authorisation for the vaccine, which is no longer being manufactured or supplied.
A number of High Street chemists and private clinics sell and administer the Pfizer Covid vaccine directly to the public.
The cost per single dose varies but is typically between £75 and £99.
You need to be aged 12 or above, and must not have had a Covid vaccine in the previous three months. You also need to talk to a health professional to check that it is suitable.
A protein-based booster vaccine made by Novavax, which works differently to the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, is also available.
Moderna hopes to launch a combined flu and Covid vaccine later in 2025 or 2026, after the jab passed a vital part of final-stage scientific checks in June 2024.
Pfizer is also testing a similar two-in-one vaccine against flu and Covid.
If you have Covid, or think you might, the NHS recommends delaying vaccination until you feel better.
It also advises postponing if you have a high temperature or feel otherwise unwell with any illness.
However, there is no need to wait if you have recently recovered from Covid and feel well. The vaccines do not infect people with Covid, and cannot cause positive test results.
What to do if you have Covid
XEC Covid variant: What are the symptoms and is it spreading in the UK?
For most people, side effects are mild. The most common include a sore arm, headache, chills, fatigue and nausea.
They are part of the body's normal immune response to vaccination and tend to resolve themselves within a day or two.
Very rarely myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle - has been linked to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
A very small number of people have experienced a severe allergic reaction after the Pfizer vaccine.
Patients with serious allergies should talk to their healthcare professional before being vaccinated.
Covid vaccine safety - What we know
Rise of vaccine distrust - why more of us are questioning jabs
Is the system letting down people who were harmed by Covid vaccines?
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41 minutes ago
1 week after deadly shooting at CDC, some employees feel Trump and RFK Jr. have moved on
After a gunman opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) campus in Atlanta last week -- forcing hundreds into lockdown, hitting six buildings and killing a police officer -- authorities found he'd been harboring years-long grievances with the COVID-19 vaccine. Patrick White's neighbors told ABC News that the 30-year-old believed he suffered negative health effects after he got the vaccine, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) found written documents at his home indicating that he wanted to make his discontent known. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during last Friday's incident. For many CDC employees, the shooting was the culmination of long-held fears that years of simmering anger and division that grew from those who disagreed with COVID-19 pandemic policies might turn to violence against the CDC, putting public health workers in physical danger. "I think the environment has been set up for something like this to happen," Jessica Rogers-Brown, a CDC epidemiologist who has worked in multiple centers across the agency over the past seven years, told ABC News. "But this is far worse than I feared." Rogers-Brown, who works at one of the buildings that was struck by gunfire, emphasized that she was speaking in her personal capacity, not in her professional role or on behalf of CDC. For Rogers-Brown and some of her colleagues, that fear has turned to frustration with government leaders -- including President Donald Trump -- over the last week. They feel the shooting has slipped into the background without even a public statement from the president about the attack on federal property or a sufficient denouncement from Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC and has peddled vaccine skepticism throughout his career. Earlier in this week, when Rogers-Brown went to pick up equipment that would allow her to continue to work from home while shattered windows and broken doors are replaced on CDC's campus, she walked past bullet holes. She said she won't feel safe returning until she feels federal leadership has publicly stood up for the CDC and Kennedy has condemned any violence aimed at public health workers as loudly as he derided CDC for its COVID response. Before becoming health secretary, Kennedy falsely called the COVID-19 vaccine the "deadliest vaccine ever made" and, during his recent presidential run, he wrote in a post on X that he would "clean up the cesspool of corruption at CDC." "We really are at a turning point of what can happen," Rogers-Brown said. "We can start to right the ship, or we can keep going down this road and wonder if, next time, I'm going to be triaging the gunshot wound of a colleague. And what will make the difference will be the voices of our leaders that have the microphone." She called for Kennedy to make it clear that "public servants are not the enemy" and "CDC workers are humans." Over the weekend, Kennedy sent an email to staff, offering prayers and saying he realized that the shooting was "unsettling" for staffers. Kennedy visited the CDC on Monday, surveying the damage, meeting with senior leadership and visiting the widow of DeKalb County Police Officer David Rose, who was killed Friday in the shooting. That day, he referred to the shooting as "heartbreaking" in an X post. In an TV interview with Scripps News later that day, Kennedy said CDC workers "should not be the targets of this kind of violence from anybody" and that political violence is "always wrong." Asked if he would take action to quell misinformation around vaccines, Kennedy said there wasn't enough information about the shooter's motive and went on to criticize public health agencies. "We have to ask, why are people not believing the public health agencies? And the answer, I think, is pretty elementary: That the public health agencies have not been honest," Kennedy said. Some staffers were frustrated by what they perceived to be a lack of strong response from Kennedy, who didn't directly address staff during his visit on Monday. "He never even sent an email to us until this past Saturday and never visited our campus until this week," a CDC scientist who has worked at the agency for 10 years in a variety of positions told ABC News. "I don't even know how to feel with the lack of words from the White House and RFK victim-shaming us." The scientist asked not to be publicly identified over fears of retaliation at work and safety concerns. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told ABC News in a statement that Kennedy "has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees." Nixon said Kennedy's response was swift and decisive, citing his trip to Atlanta, and said any suggestion of a delay "is simply not supported by the facts." "The Secretary's presence and outreach underscore his commitment to the CDC community and public health workforce. This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain," Nixon said. While Trump hasn't publicly spoken about the shooting, White House spokesperson Kush Desai also emphasized that the safety and security of government employees, "whether in Washington, D.C. or Atlanta, Georgia -- is the topmost priority of the Administration." "Violence has no place in any civil society, and the White House extends our heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer David Rose and the entire CDC team," Desai said in a statement sent to ABC News. CDC director Dr. Susan Monarez spoke directly to CDC employees on Tuesday, giving brief remarks in a 10-minute all-staff call that was cut short by technical issues. "You are resourceful, resilient and strong, and we will make sure you have the resources, the protection, the support you need to keep doing the work you do," she said. She followed up later the same day with a more direct denouncement of misinformation to the agency's more than 10,000 employees with a note that read, in part, "the dangers of misinformation and its promulgation has now led to deadly consequences." "I will work to restore trust in public health to those who have lost it -- through science, evidence, and clarity of purpose," Monarez wrote. Another CDC staff member told ABC News that the last six months of the Trump administration had already been tumultuous for the agency. She cited Kennedy's reorganization efforts that led to the mass-firings of around 10,000 HHS employees and many entire CDC programs being cut, which Kennedy defended as "reducing bureaucratic sprawl." "It was an overwhelming grief to watch what was unfolding with public health and how it was going to affect people's lives," the CDC worker, who also asked not to be publicly identified over fears of retaliation at work and concerns over her own safety, said. "But it is very personal now." With nearly 20 years of experience working in communications at CDC on multiple different public health issues, including immunization and COVID-19, she said she'd never seen as much fear among her colleagues as she had this year. "The vilification of federal workers is astounding, and people are forgetting ... that we're human beings," she said. "We're parents and friends and mothers and daughters. You know, we're just like everyone else." She pointed to Kennedy's history of vaccine skepticism before joining the Trump administration and actions to dissuade vaccine uptake since taking office. "This didn't happen overnight," she said. In May 2021, Kennedy filed a citizen petition asking for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke its authorization of all COVID-19 vaccines, which he falsely criticized during a Louisiana House of Representatives meeting about school vaccine requirements as the "deadliest vaccine ever made." Since taking office, Kennedy has taken a series of actions to change U.S. vaccine policy. He announced that the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women and, earlier this month, canceled $500 million in mRNA vaccine federal funding, terminating awards and contracts with pharmaceutical companies and universities. "After reviewing the science and consulting top experts at NIH and FDA, HHS has determined that mRNA technology poses more risk than benefits for these respiratory viruses," Kennedy said in a video posted on X when the cut to mRNA funding was announced. Scientists and doctors contend that mRNA vaccines have been studied for decades. Robust evidence from clinical trials and real-world data shows that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are safe and effective, despite Kennedy's claims, and that serious health events after COVID-19 vaccination are rare, as .
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
My 20 best tips to fall asleep quickly
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. From interviewing sleep experts to reporting on groundbreaking studies, I've managed to glean a lot of advice on how to overcome insomnia after writing non-stop about sleep for almost two years. I've even come up with my very own sleep advice from testing the most innovative sleep products and trying the latest sleep trends, with every technique I try illuminating which sleep hacks are actually worth the hype. Because it turns out that even if you have the best mattress for your needs you can still find yourself lying awake at night, and it helps to have some effective sleep tricks to hand. So, to celebrate all that I've learned as a sleep writer, I've rounded up 20 game-changing, insomnia-crushing sleep tips from top-of-their-field experts, landmark research, and my own personal experience — so you can fall asleep fast from tonight. 1. Have an evening shower Like to kickstart your morning with a refreshing shower? Maybe it's time to ditch it in favor of a warm sleep-inducing evening shower instead. Back in June, NHS physician Dr Tim Mercer at Opera Beds told me it's best to take a shower before bed for improved sleep as it can wash away any irritating allergens collected during the day. "Allergies can hit hard, especially at night," says Dr Mercer. 'For many, that means disrupted sleep, itchy eyes, and endless sneezing. You can shower before bed to wash off pollen, stopping it from transferring to your pillow." Plus, your core temperature will drop after a warm shower, which can help with melatonin production. 2. Have white chocolate for dessert If you like to kick back in the evening with a sweet treat, the bad news is that dark or milk chocolate contains sleep-disrupting caffeine. However, I was pleased when Lena Bakovic, a registered dietician at Top Nutrition Coaching, told me there is a way to get your chocolate fix without ruining your sleep: switch to white chocolate. The lighter kind has no caffeine, so it makes a better after-dinner dessert than milk or dark. 3. Get worried (yes, really) While worrying has been linked to disturbed sleep, concentrating your concerns during a designated time may actually help you to sleep, according to clinical psychologist and Head of Sleep Science at Sleep Cycle, Dr. Michael Gradisar. The psychologist explained to me that the technique, called the Constructive Worry Method, prevents us from associating our beds worrying. "First, you schedule up to 15 minutes in the evening, before you go to bed, to write down your worries," says Gradisar. "When you do this, write down the top three worries you currently have and write down a possible solution for each worry." 4. Don't brush your teeth before bedtime No, I'm not asking you to stop brushing your teeth in the evening (that would be gross). But you should stop cleaning your teeth right before bed. "Before you start relaxing for the evening, make sure you have done everything you usually do before bed, like getting into your PJs and brushing your teeth,' James Wilson, a sleep expert for MattressOnline, told me. 'That way, you can jump straight into bed when you feel sleepy, rather than doing anything that may wake you up," he explained. 5. Stop drinking caffeine at least 10 hours before bed The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule has truly been a game changer for my sleep, as it has helped to explain why struggle to fall asleep when I do certain things well into the late evening. I always thought that drinking caffeinated drinks like coffee and soda pops in the evening was fine as long as stop guzzling an hour or two before bedtime. But the 10-3-2-1-0 rule, the first '10' part of which states that you should quit caffeine at least 10 hours before bedtime made me realize how long caffeine affects the brain. 6. Switch your diary with a to-do list Dear diary, today I learned that writing about tomorrow is better for your sleep than going over what already happened. Yes, a study found that those who wrote a to-do list of tasks for tomorrow fell asleep faster than those who journaled about today. So, if you're struggling to fall asleep. grab a pen and notepad and jot down what needs to be done the next morning. 7. Don't sleep in after a late night We've all been there. You stayed up way past your bedtime and now you want to catch up with your ZZZs by sleeping in. However, waking up early after a late night is actually the best way to fix your sleep schedule. "Try to maintain your same wake-up time within a 30-minute window," Alexandra Zatarain, co-founder of Eight Sleep, told me. "So if I go to bed a few hours later, I try to get less sleep than usual by still waking up at my usual wake up time. That's going to help me the following day to feel tired, because the next day, I'm going to want to go to bed at 9pm or 9.30pm [her usual bedtime]." 8. Fall asleep fast on planes by planning ahead I recently spoke to flight attendants to get their best sleep travel tips, and Paula S. Adams, an Aviation & Business Trainer at DoYouSpeakDubai, told me her best advice for falling asleep fast on planes. "Don't take a sleeping pill or supplement on a flight if it's your first time taking them," she advises. "Instead, test it at home a few days beforehand. Plus, don't wear tight waistbands, belts, or jeans, as they restrict circulation and make sleeping uncomfortable." 9. Sleep on your left side 60% of us habitually sleep on our sides, and I spoke to an expert who explained that there are advantages we get when we sleep on our left side. Sleeping on our left side can have a host of benefits and can help prevent health issues that can cause discomfort and insomnia. These include reduction in sleep apnea, snoring, acid reflux, and indigestion. However, he did explain that for certain heart conditions, sleeping on your right side may be better. 10. Don't stress about blue light... For the longest time, I've stressed about my corneas absorbing blue light from my phone and laptop before bed, completely convinced that I've sabotaged my sleep. However, last year, a scientific review was released that changed my perspective and reassured me that blue light isn't as bad for your sleep as we think. In fact, the review found that, after looking at 11 different studies, using blue light before bed only increases the time it takes to fall asleep by a minuscule average of 2.7 minutes. 11. ...but don't scroll Just because blue light isn't as damaging to sleep as we first thought, it doesn't mean that you should spend your evening on TikTok. Research has shown that consuming too much online content can impact your brain negatively, and significantly. And, the phrase that has been coined to describe this, 'brain rot,' can impact sleep, too. "When your brain is bombarded with nonstop stimuli — especially from fast-paced, emotionally charged content — it struggles to shift into a restful state," Dr Leah Kaylor, sleep expert and clinical psychologist, recently told my colleague, Becky George. So, you can have some screen time before bed, but ditch social media in favor of something less addictive — which brings me to my next tip... 12. Re-watch your favorite shows... If you want some evening entertainment that won't delay your sleep, go for something familiar and comforting. "I watch reruns of TV shows that I have already seen, nothing too exciting," Hannah Shore, head of sleep science at Mattress Online, told me back in June. "It might seem crazy, but chances are you could lose hours tossing and turning, so instead try doing whatever calms you down for 30 minutes. It could speed up that getting back to sleep process.' 13. ...but don't start binge-watching new ones However, watching TV in bed can be bad for your sleep if it distracts you from falling asleep. And this is especially true if you're watching a new show that requires your full attention to keep up with the plot. "Whilst it can help some people to relax before drifting off, for others it can lead to a much later bedtime than we'd planned," Dr Nicola Cann, sleep psychologist and consultant, told me. "It's really all about what time we switch the TV off... The research tells us that people can become engrossed in what they're watching and are then more likely to go to sleep much later than they planned to." 14. Try some TikTok trends, but ignore others A doctor recently shared her opinions on the latest TikTok sleep trends, separating the myths from the ones that are actually worth trying. The sleepy girl mocktail, weighted blankets, and white noise machines are just some of the TikTok sleep hacks that got the expert stamp of approval, but other trends such as mouth taping were dismissed as potentially dangerous, with research showing the benefits are little to none. 15. Stay hydrated, but don't drink too much before bed Research has shown that poor sleep has been linked to dehydration, and since dehydration can cause symptoms such as headaches and cramps, it can make it harder to fall asleep. So, drinking plenty of water (and non-caffeinated teas known for sleep-inducing qualities) can stop dehydration in its tracks. However, chugging water before bed can lead to more sleep disruptions, such as nocturia (when you find yourself needing to urinate once or more over the course of the night). With this in mind, it's best to keep as hydrated as possible throughout the day (especially before noon) and cut out liquids around three to four hours before bed. 16. Finish your workout at least 4 hours before bed While keeping physically active is great for your sleep and overall health, you shouldn't make the treadmill part of your bedtime routine. A study published this year found that vigorous exercise before bed can make it harder to fall asleep. Luckily, however, concluding your workout at least four hours before you hit the hay, according to this study, won't have any impact at all. 17. Shift your bedtime gradually to get more sleep Back in December 2023, I made a New Year's resolution to get more sleep. It didn't work, however, because I set myself unrealistic goals by forcing myself to be in bed much earlier that I was used to. What I should have been doing is easing myself into an earlier routine at a more glacial pace. When Trouble Sleeping's Dr Lindsay Browning talked to Tom's Guide about how to fix your sleep schedule, she recommended shifting your sleep by 20 minutes a day to adjust easily and avoid negative side effects. 'Think of fixing your sleep schedule a bit like being jet-lagged,' Dr Browning explained. 'Because basically you are in a different time zone to the one you want to be in.' Just remember, she told us, to move your wake up time forward by 20 minutes each time, too! 18. Plan your evening meals carefully While there's no fixed time that you should be eating dinner for better sleep, the 10-3-2-1-0 sleep rule recommends finishing your dinner at least three hours before bed to prevent indigestion from ruining your sleep. If you don't come home until late, so it's almost bedtime once you've finished cooking, try quicker but healthy alternatives. There's even a way to have breakfast for dinner without it ruining your sleep. 19. Melatonin gummies can be a great sleep use wisely Melatonin gummies have become a popular sleep supplement in recent years and are considered safe to use overall, with everyone from sleep experts to flight attendants taking them to help their sleep. However, you should only use them as a last resort, Eight Sleep co-founder Alexandra Zatarain warned me. "If I'm really, really tired or a jet lagged and I need a bit of a boost [to relax], maybe I'll have some melatonin," she said. "Just be mindful; don't disrupt your body with a lot of chemical components. "It doesn't mean that they're bad – they're natural chemicals – but they are going to change a little bit of your biology during that time. Ideally you should find solutions outside of that unless you have some sort of medical condition that requires it." She also noted that it's important to speak to your doctor before taking melatonin supplements. 20. Give your sleep a scent And finally, create a sleep environment with a relaxing scent. Lavender-scented pillow mists have always been my go-to sleep aid, but you can use any scent you want — as long as you find them relaxing or comforting. In fact, sleep writer Jenny Haward recently tried (and loved) the 'French woman sleep hack', where you wear the same perfume to bed every night for some sleep-inducing aromatherapy.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump targets bolstering of US emergency drug reserve
US President Donald Trump has ordered the bolstering of the country's Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve (SAPIR) with important drugs, aligning with his wider ambition to reduce reliance on imported pharmaceutical products. The executive order, signed on 13 August, will see the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of around 26 'critical drugs' added to the SAPIR. Trump has directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to curate the list of drugs whose APIs will be stored. The office of the ASPR is within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is responsible for safeguarding drugs involved in the country's public health strategies. The SAPIR was established in 2020 by the Trump administration in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reserve is supposed to have nearly two years' worth of medicine supply for the most important treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but a lack of investment means it has been near-empty for the past few years. The White House blames the Biden administration for failing to advance domestic production or fill the SAPIR, 'despite spending billions on supply chain initiatives'. Trump has requested a shorter timeframe for how long the repository should be able to provide the 26 drugs in the event of an emergency. The ASPR is tasked with obtaining a six-month supply of the critical APIs. It also instructed to update the 2022 list of 86 essential medicines, with a six-month supply planned too. The executive order has asked the ASPR to preferentially source the API via 'domestically manufactured' means. However, the office might have its work cut out to find these providers, given how reliant the US is on importing APIs. Of the manufacturers that produce APIs used in FDA-approved products, only 11% are based in the US. Around 43% of branded pharmaceutical API come from the EU. In a statement, the White House said the move to fill the SAPIR with more drugs 'addresses supply chain vulnerabilities'. A spokesperson added: 'Restoring capacity for domestic production of essential pharmaceutical products is essential to safeguarding national health and security against global supply chain disruptions.' The SAPIR executive order is part of Trump's strategy to bolster domestic pharma manufacturing. This has mainly been mediated via tariffs and economic policies. Last week, the FDA introduced a new scheme that will streamline the introduction of new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the US. The PreCheck programme, unveiled by the agency on 7 August, comprises a two-phase approach to facilitate new US drug manufacturing facilities. Big pharma has been responding to Trump's pressurised calls by outlaying significant funds to boost US manufacturing sites. Johnson & Johnson is set to invest $55bn over the next four years, including a $2bn biologics production site in North Carolina that promises to create 500 jobs. Roche outlaid a similar amount, planning $50bn worth of investment in the US, which will generate more than 1,000 jobs in new and expanded facilities. "Trump targets bolstering of US emergency drug reserve" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
