'I've had ten Covid jabs - do I REALLY need another?' Top virologists reveal whether it's time to give up on the injections for good - or keep going for ever...

Five years aft the archetypal lockdown, millions volition beryllium offered yet different Covid vaccine – conscionable months aft the astir caller round.

Bookings for the outpouring booster opened past week, and astir 7.5 cardinal radical successful England aged 75 and over, surviving successful attraction homes oregon with conditions that weaken the immune strategy are eligible.

NHS figures amusement that, connected average, much than 1,000 infirmary beds a time were taken up by Covid patients implicit winter, with cases rising 15 per cent and deaths 20 per cent implicit the past week.

The jab helps trim the hazard of being hospitalised from the virus, and experts assertion past year's outpouring booster chopped the fig of radical falling severely sick by much than 40 per cent successful those astir astatine risk.

But immense numbers of those who are eligible are nary longer choosing to person the vaccine.

Only 9.8 cardinal radical successful England – retired of the estimated 20 cardinal invited – turned up to person their autumn booster.

The uptake among under-65s with weakened immune systems was peculiarly debased astatine conscionable 22 per cent.

So does the jab truly substance immoderate more? And are determination immoderate risks to having what volition be, for some, a tenth Covid vaccine?

Here the UK's apical microorganism experts explicate each you request to know.

Q: I person had 10 Covid jabs – the past 1 conscionable a fewer months ago. Why bash I request another?

A: Immunity – either from having had the microorganism oregon from a erstwhile vaccination – wanes implicit time. But this doesn't mean you request to person a booster.

Research shows that extortion from terrible corruption that would effect successful hospitalisation lasts astir six months aft a shot, but that tin beryllium little for radical with anemic immune systems.

'If I had an autumn jab 2 oregon 3 months ago, I would not beryllium rushing to get the latest vaccine,' says Professor Paul Hunter, an adept successful infectious illness astatine the University of East Anglia. 'However, if you received the vaccine aboriginal successful the past rhythm and person an underlying wellness condition, determination could beryllium a benefit.'

Experts accidental it is concerning that truthful galore successful this radical are nary longer booking booster appointments.

'It is simply a existent problem. There is simply a wide complacency astir Covid,' says Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist astatine Warwick University. 'People request to cognize that they tin get the vaccine and that it is inactive needed.'

Q: I person heard that the jabs don't work, truthful wherefore bother?

A: The eligibility criteria for the booster is anyone aged 75 and over, residents successful attraction homes and radical with anemic immune systems.

'These groups person important extortion by having the vaccine,' says Professor Alex Richter, a vaccine adept astatine the University of Birmingham. 'It does not forestall you from getting the virus, but it does trim the hazard of superior corruption and hospitalisation.'

This is wherefore the criteria is antithetic present to during the pandemic.

Prof Richter explains: 'We person moved distant from trying to support against transmission and execute herd immunity, which is wherefore it was offered to younger radical astatine 1 point.'

Q: Is determination a caller variant I should beryllium disquieted about?

A: Scientists person warned astir the accrued hazard from a caller Covid wave.

Known arsenic the LP family, the LP.8.1 and LP.8.1.1 variants saw their stock of caller Covid infections successful England astir triple to 60 per cent successful conscionable 2 weeks, the UK Health Security Agency revealed.

'We cognize that this caller variant is much infectious and it should beryllium a wake-up call,' says Prof Young. 'The booster volition connection protection, truthful it is important those who are astir susceptible get the jab.'

Q: I americium 66 and had my autumn booster – truthful wherefore americium I not eligible this spring?

A: The outpouring booster is fixed to over-75s and the autumn booster to over-65s, with the main crushed being fiscal restraints.

Some precocious thoroughfare chemists and backstage clinics volition beryllium selling and administering the Pfizer Covid vaccine, however, with costs varying from £45 to £99.

To qualify, you indispensable beryllium 12 oregon implicit and not person had a Covid jab wrong the past 3 months.

Experts counsel it is worthy going backstage for immoderate people.

'If you are 65 to 74 and, for immoderate reason, had not had the autumn jab, I would see getting it privately – peculiarly if I had different wellness condition,' says Prof Hunter.

Q: Will getting different booster support maine from agelong Covid?

A: Not necessarily. A caller survey by the University of Southampton suggested that 1 successful 10 radical whitethorn person agelong Covid. Symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath, problems with representation and attraction – besides known arsenic 'brain fog' – aches, dizziness and palpitations.

But experts pass that getting the booster does not connection guaranteed extortion against agelong Covid.

'We cognize the information tin beryllium triggered adjacent by a mild infection, which the vaccine does not eliminate,' says Prof Richter.

For radical already suffering from agelong Covid, she advises getting the jab privately arsenic 'an corruption tin person a greater interaction erstwhile you person the condition'.

Q: Is it truly harmless to person this galore vaccines?

A: People should beryllium reassured that determination is nary hazard associated with taking aggregate Covid vaccines, the experts claim.

With immoderate jabs, taking them successful speedy succession tin pb to short-term broadside effects, but this is not the lawsuit for the Covid vaccine.

'There's thing to beryllium acrophobic about,' says Prof Hunter. 'Having different jab wouldn't interest me.'

Q: I acceptable the criteria – what bash I request to bash to get a vaccine?

A: Those eligible for the jab volition beryllium contacted by the NHS, either by text, email oregon letter.

However, you tin sojourn the NHS website, usage the NHS app oregon telephone 119 to publication a jab now.

There are thousands of walk-in appointments disposable each day, too, with a afloat database of locations offering the work uploaded to the NHS finder instrumentality online.

The vaccination programme closes connected June 17.