All folks aged 50 and over are to be supplied a Covid-19 booster and flu jab this autumn, the federal government has introduced.
Some 26 million Britons might be eligible, with over-75s and essentially the most susceptible anticipated to start out receiving their doses from September, based on the UK Well being Safety Company.
Underneath the steering outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), all frontline well being and social care employees can even be supplied one other booster jab, as will these aged 5 to 49 who’re deemed clinically at-risk, together with pregnant ladies, and family contacts of individuals with compromised immune programs.
For folks aged 75 and over, this might be their fifth Covid jab, having already obtained a spring booster. For the over-50s, it will likely be a fourth dose.
Reformulated Covid-19 vaccines, particular to the Omicron sub-variants, are additionally anticipated to be authorised and delivered within the close to future, based on Professor Adam Finn, a member of the JCVI.
The Impartial understands that the JCVI has debated whether or not the tailored vaccines, as soon as they begin to arrive, needs to be held again till the federal government has secured sufficient doses and might supply them to all eligible cohorts, quite than immunising totally different teams with totally different variant-specific jabs.
In its interim recommendation, printed earlier this 12 months, the JCVI had initially really useful that everybody aged 65 and over obtain an autumn booster jab.
However in mild of the risk posed by the extremely infectious BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants, and the uncertainty that lies forward with Covid, the committee mentioned it had reconsidered its earlier steering to decrease the age eligibility threshold all the way down to 50.
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the JCVI, mentioned: “The Covid-19 boosters are extremely efficient at rising immunity and, by providing an extra dose to these at increased danger of extreme sickness this autumn, we hope to considerably cut back the chance of hospitalisations and deaths over the winter.”
Together with the standard eligible teams, the flu vaccine will as soon as once more be supplied to all adults aged 50 to 64 years and secondary college youngsters in years 7, 8 and 9.
These cohorts will solely be invited to return ahead for the jab as soon as folks aged 65 years and over, pre-school and first college youngsters, and people in scientific danger teams have obtained the flu vaccine.
Well being officers are involved that, after two quiet flu seasons, the approaching winter may see a surge in infections and hospitalisations attributable to the virus, putting higher stress on the NHS alongside Covid-19.
Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at UKHSA, mentioned: “Widening the eligibility for the flu vaccine will assist cut back the variety of folks getting significantly ailing and ease pressures on the NHS, significantly in the course of the busy winter interval.
“It’s also necessary that everybody eligible for the Covid-19 booster will get the jab when invited, together with pregnant ladies, who’re amongst these at increased danger.
“Having Covid-19 throughout being pregnant can result in issues. Getting the vaccine, together with a booster, gives the absolute best safety for you and your child.”
The NHS will announce sooner or later when and the way eligible teams will be capable of guide an appointment for his or her Covid-19 autumn booster, and when folks aged 50 to 64 years outdated who should not in a scientific danger group will be capable of get their free flu jab.