JCVI

• Yes.
• Yes.

What are the benefitS?

• That’s because the more people that are able to keep up to date with COVID boosters, the higher the level of immunity across the population.
• High booster coverage can help protect against surging cases or potential new variants, and help lower levels of COVID-related sickness across the population.
• Crucially, though, increased booster coverage could help reduce rates of long COVID – the risk of which rises with multiple re-infections .

But will people buy them?

• Along with colleagues, last year I conducted research on attitudes to private COVID boosters in Wales.
• If the private market for the flu jab is anything to go by, then ease of access might give COVID uptake rates a boost.
• Ultimately it remains to be seen how much demand there will be for private COVID vaccines.

Private vaccines could worsen health inequalities

• At a price of £45 per jab, those on low income are much less likely to be able to afford them.
• As such, the private sale of COVID vaccines will only serve to perpetuate health inequalities.
• They are also more likely to be negatively impacted by winter pressures and health service crises.

People should be free to choose to get vaccinated

• Vaccine passports and mandatory vaccination for health and social care workers were strongly opposed by some on the grounds that they took away people’s choice to not get vaccinated.
• Surely the same arguments made against requiring people to get vaccinated should also apply to excluding people from getting vaccinated?

Simon Nicholas Williams has received funding from Senedd Cymru, Public Health Wales and the Wales Covid Evidence Centre for research on COVID-19, and has consulted for the World Health Organization. However, this article reflects the views of the author only, in his academic capacity at Swansea University, and no funding or organizational bodies were involved in the writing or content of this article.