Covid booster vaccinations should be offered in spring and autumn this year for select groups of patients at high risk, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended.
Interim advice to the Government has recommended planning begin for a 2023 autumn booster programme for those at higher risk of severe Covid-19 because of age or clinical risk factors.
And a smaller group of people, including those of older age and those who are immunosuppressed will also be offered an extra booster dose in the spring, the JCVI advised, more details on which would be provided shortly, a statement said.
A first vaccination will no longer be available to adults under 50 years not in an at-risk group with the offer being phased out over the course of 2023, the JCVI said.
But emergency surge vaccination campaigns may still be needed should a novel variant of concern emerge with clinically significant biological differences to Omicron, the committee said.
Publishing its interim advice, the JCVI said the risk of severe Covid-19 continued to be ‘disproportionately greater’ in those from older age groups, care home residents, and those with certain underlying health conditions.
But the committee added there remains ongoing uncertainty about the evolution of the virus, durability and breadth of immunity and epidemiology of infection which ‘limits the development of a routine immunisation programme against Covid-19’.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid-19 immunisation at the JCVI, said: ‘The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to reduce severe disease across the population, while helping to protect the NHS.
‘That is why we have advised planning for further booster vaccines for persons at higher risk of serious illness through an autumn booster programme later this year.
‘We will very shortly also provide final advice on a spring booster programme for those at greatest risk.’
Latest figures from this autumn/winter booster campaign show uptake of 64.5% in the over-50s and 82.4% in those 75 and over.
The 2022 autumn booster offer will come to an end on 12 February, the Department of Health and Social Care said, encouraging anyone who has not yet to come forward to do so now.
READERS' COMMENTS [4]
Please note, only GPs are permitted to add comments to articles
Why?
If the boosters for 2023 will be no more effective against new variants than the existing, ineffective, ones, why risk the significant side effects?
If Covid really IS nothing more than a mild cold, what is all the fuss about?
and:
If Covid is REALLY still a significant risk to so many people, and our economy, as it obviously IS, then why just throw useless vaccinations at it instead of taking effective measures like improving indoor air quality/ventilation, compulsory masks, isolation of the sick, and elimination of the cause?
Here’s an idea……..
How about we publish the contemporary Infection Fatality Rate by age…. especially since we have stopped “within 28 days”
AND then right, bear with me ……we examine the absolute risk reduction of being vaccinated, this could also be stratified by age
THEN…..and thanks for staying with me so far …….here is the REVOLUTIONARY idea…….we inform patients that these medications have been granted emergency licences, that the emergency has passed, and that there are risks of adverse events associated with all vaccinations……especially these that are pioneering new technology in the absence of long term safety data…
Then and only then can people to make an informed choice….you know like the old fashioned pillars of medical ethics and the oath require us to do.
Just a thought…..
I’ll get my coat
Have you seen the actuarial stats – the death rate among the younger 20-45yrs age group was up 7.8% last year
Why have the younger generation, who are not at significant risk from covid, dying to excess?
Im sure a lot of them will have had the covid vaccinations?
Are they actually doing harm, as was reported in the early coronavirus vaccinations 10yrs ago?
We need explanations and answers as this.
Why is nobody asking why an extra 38000 ‘young’ people died last year
Why do the MHRA not investigate this?
I dont have the answer, but that is the size of a small town. If that just disappeared some must be answerable
In 2020 we all panicked, but now after three years of experience we should stop this nonsense. Offer once a year during flu season along with flu vaccine.