CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride has urged his constituents to accept the offer of a booster Covid-19 jab when invited.

Results from a recent UK Health Security Agency study have shown that a booster dose of AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech tops up protection against symptomatic infection in adults over 50 to more than 93 per cent.

A total of 12.6 million people across the UK have had a booster so far, including around 75 per cent of people in England over the age of 70.

But that still leaves more than a million people among the most susceptible to becoming ill with Covid-19, who have been invited for a booster but who have not yet come forward.

Mr Stride, who recently got his booster jab, said: “It is not a coincidence that unvaccinated adults make up about 10 per cent of our population but are accounting for 90 per cent of hospital patients in many of our Covid wards. Vaccines have proven to be effective in reducing the likelihood of catching Covid-19 and reducing the likelihood of becoming seriously ill with it if you do.

Booster jabs top up this protection and I would strongly urge people to get their booster when invited.”

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at the UKHSA, said: “Our findings demonstrate the protection provided by the booster dose against symptomatic infection in those at highest risk from developing severe Covid-19.

“We know that in older age groups, protection from the first two vaccines is beginning to wear off, leaving millions that need extra protection as we head into winter.

“That is why it is critical that you come forward for your booster as soon as you become eligible so we can drive down hospitalisations and deaths over the winter.”