MILLIONS of Brits have been urged to take up "life-saving" NHS jabs today to dodge a looming "tripledemic" of winter illnesses. Bookings for vaccinations opened at 9am this morning for eligible groups - as experts warned of "colliding" surges of Covid , flu and RSV . The NHS is offering additional protection to those most at risk of severe illness and hospitalisation this winter by rolling out its annual flu and Covid vaccine campaigns.
The jabs will be administered from October 3 onwards but booking for the vaccinations opened today, September 23. Eligible adults in England will be able to nab a slot for their jabs via the NHS website or app, which they can download to their phone. You can also call 119 for free if you can't get online.
Read more on vaccines The NHS says that getting the vaccines will offer protection against a “tripledemic” of RSV, Covid and flu that tends to descend during the winter months - already a busy time for healthcare staff. Flu season usually peaks in December and January, so starting adult vaccinations from October will ensure those most at risk are protected during the colder months when people gather indoors and viruses spread. Scientists have also sounded the alarm over a a new, more contagious Covid variant called XEC , which is spreading across several European countries.
Though the bug is not likely to be as deadly as some of its predecessors, experts warned that the XEC variant is shaping up to be the " next big challenge" for hospita.