Those eligible for the autumn covid booster are being urged to get their vaccines booked as case numbers spike and winter approaches.

Slots opened to the over 50s on Friday morning (October 15), and now 427,506 people in Cambridgeshire can get boosted.

Health officials said last week 126,656 across Cambridgeshire had already been jabbed.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Covid-19 is very much still with us, so we’re encouraging everybody who is eligible to have their autumn booster, because it is the best method of protection ahead of the winter.”

Groups currently eligible for the autumn booster are care home residents and staff, frontline health and social care workers and adults aged 50 years and over.

Those aged between five and 59 in a clinical risk group can also get boosted.

Appointments can be booked using the NHS’ national booking service via nhs.uk/covid-booster, or calling 119 if they do not have access to the internet.

Government figures show coronavirus cases are increasing across much of Cambridgeshire

The week ending October 8, Fenland saw a spike in cases and had the highest infection rate of almost 150 per 100,000 people.

This is compared to 141 in Cambridge, 128 in South Cambs, 125 in East Cambs, 125 in Huntingdonshire and 80 in Peterborough.

When it comes to the actual number of cases, Huntingdonshire had 223 which was 18 more than the previous week.

Fenland had 153 cases, a 39 per cent increase in comparison to the previous week.

East Cambs had 113 cases, a 34 per cent rise. Cambridge had 176 cases, an almost 40 per cent increase.

Peterborough and South Cambs numbers for the week ending October 8 were very similar to the week before.

Peterborough had 162 recorded cases; South Cambs had 206.

For those struggling to find an appointment on the NHS booking system, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System advises to try again in a few days.

Its website says: “New appointments are being added to the booking system regularly, and local NHS teams are working hard to offer the COVID-19 autumn booster to thousands of local people every week.”

It also says some GP practices may also be offering vaccination clinics. In these cases, patients may be contacted direct.