Covid vaccinations available to people aged 38 to 39 and pregnant women

Those aged 38 and 39 - around a million people across England - are being sent text messages that will allow them to access the national booking service, with further invitations for others in their 30s to follow in the coming days and weeks.

People 39 and under without an underlying health condition will be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, in line with Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidance which was updated last week.

Pregnant women can also book through the national booking service from Thursday, and will be directed to vaccination centres offering Pfizer throughout the county, as no sites in Shropshire are currently offering the Moderna.

Pregnant women can also speak to their GP practice or maternity service if they have any questions about the vaccine, or can talk to a healthcare professional at their appointment.

Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said: “This is great news for our younger Shropshire residents who will start to be offered the vaccine over the coming weeks.

“The uptake in Shropshire so far has been brilliant, with more than two thirds of adults now having received at least one dose. If you receive a text inviting you for your jab, please follow the instructions and book. It’s simple, effective and is helping to save lives.”

When invited, people will be able to book at any vaccination centre, pharmacy or GP site that is available through the national booking service.

Text invitations appear as an alert from ‘NHSvaccine’, including a web link to the NHS website to reserve an appointment.

People who cannot go online can call the service on 119 instead to book their jab.

The NHS is also sending text reminders to people who have not yet taken up their offer, and to people overdue their second dose.

The NHS currently vaccinates using three vaccines, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Moderna.