Another round of Covid boosters will also be available for aged care home staff and residents, frontline health and social care workers, adult carers, household contacts of immunocompromised people and those at clinical risk, including of pregnant women. The move follows final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization and significantly widens the number of people it initially suggested would be eligible for autumn boosters in its interim advice in May. The JCVI decided to expand the vaccine supply after considering the rapid spread of Omicron’s BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, which are driving the current wave of infections in the UK. There were also benefits from aligning the Covid boost campaign with the launch of annual flu shots, advisers said. “We have provided our final recommendations for the autumn schedule to ensure that the NHS and the wider health system have time to plan vaccine launches well in advance of the winter season,” said Professor Anthony Harnden, JCVI deputy chair. “Covid-19 boosters are extremely effective at boosting immunity and by offering an extra dose to those at higher risk of severe illness this autumn, we hope to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths over the winter,” he added. The autumn flu vaccine offer is for England only, but the JCVI advice on Covid boosters is for the UK. It is up to devolved administrations to decide whether to take the advice, as England has done. The UK has been hit by three waves of Covid in the past seven months, driving infections to record levels. The first wave, powered by the original Omicron BA.1 variant, peaked in January. Then came another wave led by the BA.2 subvariant. When it peaked in March, a record one in 14 people in England were infected. The latest wave started in June as the BA.4 and BA.5 variants began to dominate. The Office for National Statistics estimates that one in 19 people in England were infected last week, with BA.5 accounting for almost 70% and BA.4 a further 20%. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST With hospital admissions rising rapidly, Dr Jenny Harris, chief executive of the UK’s Health Security Agency, urged people who are eligible to come in for the spring boost if they haven’t already. Almost a fifth of people aged 75 and over have not taken up the offer. Since December, Omicron has more than doubled the cumulative number of infections in England, from 25.9 million to 67.7 million. Half of those infected in the latest wave did not previously have Covid, despite making up only 15% of the population. Continued evolution of the virus has steadily eroded the protection afforded by vaccines, although protection against serious disease has been well maintained. With Omicron dominating in 2022, some vaccine makers such as Moderna and Pfizer have updated their shots to target the variant or a combination of Omicron and the original Covid strain that started the pandemic. Public health officials also fear the flu could bounce back hard early in the year as well, given Australia’s experience, making flu and Covid vaccinations a high priority in the fall. Those eligible for the free flu shot include secondary school students in Years 7, 8 and 9. The NHS will announce when people can come in for shots. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of vaccination at the UK’s Health Safety Agency, said: “Widening eligibility for the flu vaccine will help reduce the number of people who become seriously ill and reduce pressures on the NHS, particularly at busy times. winter season. “It is also important that everyone eligible for the Covid-19 booster gets the jab when invited, including pregnant women, who are among those at higher risk. Having Covid-19 during pregnancy can lead to complications. Getting the vaccine, including a booster, offers the best possible protection for you and your baby.”
