HUNDREDS of thousands of Hampshire people have been given their Covid booster this autumn.

In order to protect themselves this winter, more than 200,000 people have been jabbed since the autumn programme launched last month.

Many of these are considered more at risk from the virus, have come forward in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to get vaccinated ahead of the winter.

This includes people aged 75 and over, the severely immunosuppressed and frontline health and care workers.

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More than 3,800 people have also come forward since the start of the autumn booster programme to receive their first or second dose of the vaccine.

GPs are contacting their registered patients in order of clinical priority with information on bookable or walk-in clinics they are offering for eligible individuals.

Additional slots are also being added regularly to the national booking system.

Dr Matt Nisbet, GP and Clinical Lead for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “Winter is always a challenging time for NHS services, and we know that flu and Covid are likely to cause additional demand over the coming months.

"Getting vaccinated is proven to reduce your risk of getting seriously unwell if you catch Covid, so it has been fantastic to see so many people eager to get jabbed so early in the programme and top up their immunity."

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