The government has been advised on its COVID-19 vaccine roll out this spring.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued new advice on who should receive the vaccination.
It recommends that individuals who are high risk of serious disease are the most likely to benefit, so should be prioritised.
To aid in mitigating severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalisations, and deaths, these selected groups will be offered the vaccine, similar to processes executed in previous spring and autumn campaigns.
JCVIA has advised that the following groups of people should be offered the vaccine this spring:
- Adults aged 75 years and over
- Residents in a care home for older adults
- Individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed
The new guidelines reflect those of the previous spring, with modified terms for immunosuppressed individuals, who are now eligible from six months up as opposed to five years and over last year.
Chair of COVID-19 immunisation on the JCVI, Professor Wei Shen Lim, said: "The COVID-19 spring programme will continue to focus on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill, who will benefit the most from a further vaccine dose.
"It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up the offer this spring.
"Current vaccines provide good protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and can protect those most vulnerable from death."
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), added: "Our on-going surveillance shows that COVID-19 continues to cause severe illness, particularly in older age groups and those who are immunosuppressed, but also clearly shows that spring and autumn vaccines are effective in helping to protect those most at risk – halving the likelihood of hospitalisation from the virus."
The UKHSA data indicated a 50 per cent decline in COVID-19 related hospitalisations two weeks post-vaccination as opposed to unvaccinated individuals.
Last spring saw a 67.5 per cent vaccine uptake for persons aged 75 and over.
NHS England will confirm details on how and when eligible people can access the spring COVID-19 vaccine in due course.
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