People aged 75 and over, those in care homes and vulnerable people are to be offered a spring Covid-19 booster jab.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said it has advised that certain groups of people should be offered the vaccinations, with options including the Pfizer, Moderna and Sanofi/GSK jabs. People aged 75 and over will be offered a jab, along with care home residents and anyone aged five and over who is immunosuppressed.
People will be offered the vaccine around six months after their previous dose, with NHS England setting out the specific details of the programme at a later date. The Novavax jab will also be available for use only when alternatives are not considered clinically suitable.
Children under 12 will be offered a children’s formulation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Which vaccine people get will depend on local supply.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chairman of the JCVI’s Covid-19 committee, said: “Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself against Covid-19 and the spring booster programme provides an opportunity for those who are at highest risk of severe illness to keep their immunity topped up.
“This year’s spring programme will bridge the gap to the planned booster programme in the autumn, enabling those who are most vulnerable to be well protected throughout the summer.”
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Covid-19 is still circulating widely, and we have recently seen increases in older people being hospitalised. It is important those at highest risk of severe illness do not become complacent and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward once the booster programme starts.”
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