People aged 38 and 39 to be offered a Covid jab in England from Thursday, May 13
People in their late 30s will be able to book their first covid jab from tomorrow.
Appointments on the NHS booking website are expected to be opened to those aged 38 and 39 from Thursday.
Up until now only people aged 40 and over have been entitled to book their appointments, alongside health workers, carers and those with an underlying health condition, but as the vaccination drive continues health chiefs have confirmed that England's roll-out will now move down into the next age bracket from the end of this week.
Under-40s are expected to be offered an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine following advice from The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) because of an 'extremely small risk' of people suffering blood clots after having the jab.
It is understood those under 40 accepting a covid jab will instead be offered a dose from one of the country's other suppliers including both Pfizer and Moderna.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently awaiting approval from The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to be used in the UK.
Patients logging onto the NHS booking website from tomorrow will be directed to their nearest vaccination centre with available appointments and a supply of jabs.
Alternatively people will be contacted by their GP surgery.