Isle of Man: Plea for public not to delay getting Covid booster

Lawrie Hooper has asked the public to respond if invited for a top-up jab

The Manx public should not delay getting a "vital" Covid booster vaccine as their immunity starts to diminish, the health minister has said.

More than 11,000 people have received a third jab, which has so far been offered to the over-70s, Manx Care staff and other vulnerable groups.

Lawrie Hooper urged those invited to "please respond when you are asked and do not put this off".

There are concerns "a significant minority are not attending", he added.

'Build defences'

Invitations have been sent by Manx Care and some GPs to those who had their second jab at least six months ago, amid the government's preparation of a winter plan to manage the impact of Covid.

Mr Hooper said boosters were "vital to build up and maintain our defences, to help our most vulnerable people, protect our health services and maintain our way of life".

The initial roll out of the booster programme is set to cover everyone aged 50 and over, as well as the most vulnerable.

Adults with learning disabilities who have been offered the third jab will be able to attend vaccination sessions at the Greenfield Park day services complex in Strang across two weekends in mid-November.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the location was chosen "because of its familiarity" among users, and to "lessen feelings of anxiety about having a vaccination".

The island has seen a rise in daily infections through October, mainly in school-age children, though the latest coronavirus surveillance report suggests "overall numbers of new cases may be levelling off".

There are currently 753 active cases and 12 people in Noble's Hospital.