Over-18s in the UK will receive a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus booster vaccine earlier than previously envisioned, a senior government adviser on immunisation said on Sunday. Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said accelerating the booster programme by extending the eligible age range and reducing the interval between the second and booster doses “will be a sensible strategy” as the Omicron variant of the CCP virus was detected in the UK. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he expects to receive new advice “imminently,” within the next couple of days from the JCVI, which is tasked with reviewing whether boosters—currently being given to over-40s—should be extended to all adults. The JCVI will also consider whether second doses should be offered to 12- to 15-year-olds, and whether the waiting time before a booster jab could be cut short from the currently advised six-month period. …