LESS than half of people aged 50 and over in Warrington have received an extra dose of the coronavirus vaccine, new figures suggest.

Adults in the age group have been eligible for a top-up dose of the Covid-19 vaccine since mid-September, when the NHS launched its national booster jab campaign.

It comes as the booster programme is set to be expanded as the first cases of the newly discovered Omicron variant have been confirmed across England and Scotland.

NHS England data, published for the first time, shows 40,191 people aged 50 and over in Warrington had received a booster jab or third vaccine dose by November 21.

That is at least 45 per cent of the age group, based on the number of people on the National Immunisation Management Service.

However, 8,474 people aged 80 and over had received the booster by that date, as well as 6,932 people aged between 75 and 79 – 80 per cent and 82 percent of the age group in the town respectively.

Booster jabs are available for people in eligible groups who had their second dose at least six months ago, while third primary doses are offered to people with severely weakened immune systems.

Across the north west as a whole, around 53 per cent of over-50s had received a booster jab or third dose by November 21.

Data shows falling levels of protection from symptomatic disease and hospital admission six months after people have had their second jab – particularly among older adults and at-risk groups.

Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said experts have been looking at extending boosters to the under-40s and whether the time interval between the second and third doses of the vaccine should be cut in response to the arrival of the Omicron variant.

Prof Harnden said: "I think it is almost inevitable that we are going to see many, many more cases than we have seen before.

"The key question is whether this virus has a transmission advantage over the Delta, which is the prevalent virus at the moment."