With the risk of Covid circulating more widely over the winter months, an NHS decision is awaited about the UK Covid-19 vaccination programme this coming autumn. Scientists argue that the data support the view that vaccination helps to protect against severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19.
The initial advice from the UK Health Security Agency for autumn 2023 is to offer the latest vaccine to those at high risk of serious disease and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination.
Specifically, the authorities advise the following groups be offered a Covid-19 booster vaccine this autumn:
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- persons aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the NHS Immunisation Green Book, Covid-19 chapter
- frontline health and social care workers
- persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts (as defined in the Green Book) of people with immunosuppression
- persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers (as defined in the Green Book) and staff working in care homes for older adults
Further advice on the choice of vaccine products for use this autumn will be provided in due course.
The Rye Vaccination Centre is looking at what will be necessary to re-activate the centre to contribute to the programme.
