Yahoo Finance Over-75s urged to check when they last had a Covid vaccine as cases rise
People aged 75 and over are being urged to check whether they have had a Covid jab in the last six months amid a worrying rise in cases.
On Friday, the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 had now taken over as the dominant strains, and had a growth advantage of 35 per cent compared to earlier versions.
The percentage of people being admitted to hospital following an infection is also rising again after falling steadily since last October.
The UKHSA said one in six people 75 and over had a vaccine more than six months ago, and they were urged to come forward for a booster. Since the spring, older and vulnerable groups have been eligible for a fourth jab but many are yet to take up the offer.
Prof Susan Hopkins, the UKHSA chief medical adviser, said: “It is clear that the increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly increasing the case numbers we have observed in recent weeks.
“We have seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels.
“Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. We urge these people in particular to get up to date.”
Total infections back to April levels
Separate infection data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that a total of 1.75 million people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up 23 per cent from 1.4 million a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The rise is smaller than the previous week, when infections jumped 43 per cent but total infections are now back at levels last seen in April.
However, they are still below the record 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March this year.
The virus continues to be most prevalent in Scotland, where 250,700 people were likely to test positive for Covid-19 last week, or one in 20, compared to one in 40 in England, and 1 in 45 in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Largest increase in Scotland
Kara Steel, a senior statistician for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: “Rates have continued to rise across the UK, with the largest increase seen in Scotland.
“In England, infections increased across all age groups, with the lowest level of infection seen in school aged children.
“These increases are largely driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants. We will continue to closely monitor the data.”
Infection levels are highest among 25 to 34-year-olds, where 3.3 per cent - one in 30 - were likely to have had the virus last week.
The Government's coronavirus dashboard, which is more up to date than the ONS figures, shows a 30 per cent rise in cases within the past week, while hospitilisations have risen by 40 per cent and deaths by eight per cent.
