The Covid-19 vaccine booster programme is to be extended to people aged 40-49, health officials have announced.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said all adults aged 40 and over should be offered the jab, sic months after their second dose of the vaccine.

16-17 year olds should get second Covid jab

The committee also said 16 and 17-year-olds should come forward for a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab – which should be given at least 12 weeks after the first.

The JCVI said that the broadening of the booster campaign and the offer of a second jab to 16 and 17-year-olds will “help extend our protection into 2022”.

It comes as ministers urged people to get boosters when called in a bid to save Christmas.

MHRA issue statement on Covid booster jab

Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, added: “We welcome today’s announcement by the JCVI, on the extension of the booster campaign to 40-49 year olds.

“This further strengthens our ability to ensure people are protected against Covid-19 and saves lives.

“Our safety monitoring to date shows that Covid-19 vaccines continue to have a positive safety profile for the majority of people. The vast majority of reactions which are reported relate to expected side-effects such as injection site reactions and flu-like symptoms, as was seen in our initial assessment.

“Our proactive monitoring of the safety of booster doses does not raise any new concerns.

“We also welcome the recommendation for 16 to 17-year-olds to come forward and have a second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.”

She added: “People can be reassured that when we gave approval for the Pfizer vaccine for those 16 years and over in December 2020, we had thoroughly reviewed all the clinical trial data.

“We have continued to carefully scrutinise all the data we have available to us and our robust surveillance programme includes monitoring all suspected reactions for adolescents as well as adults.

“We ensure all suspected reports are carefully followed up. The Expert Working Group of the Commission on Human Medicines has confirmed that reports of suspected myocarditis (heart inflammation) following Covid-19 vaccines are extremely rare and that the balance of risks and benefits overall remains favourable.”

How to book NHS Covid booster jab

NHS England said that when invited, people will be able to book in at a vaccination centre or pharmacy site through the national booking service.

Text invitations appear as an alert from “NHSvaccine” and include a 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.