The NHS has been asked to bring forward the delivery of seasonal vaccinations following the latest expert guidance on the new BA.2.86 Covid variant. The NHS will be working quickly to ensure as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated by the end of October, in line with the latest guidance.
In light of the recent change in risk from a new COVID-19 variant, flu and COVID-19 vaccination for adults should now be brought forward for this year to start in September to maximise uptake of both vaccines.
The adult COVID-19 and flu vaccination programme had been due to start in October to maximise protection over the winter months, but now:
- care home residents and staff and some people who require a home visit will be vaccinated from 11 September
- local vaccination offers will start at the same time, starting with those most at risk
- all other eligible groups can make a COVID-19 booking using the national booking service from 18 September, with appointments available from 19 September
- the flu national booking service will become available later in the campaign, but people who are eligible can access their flu vaccine from their GP surgery or pharmacy sooner
The children’s flu programme remains unchanged and will start from September. School aged children will be able to get the flu vaccine at school or at community clinics, and those with long term health conditions can also get the vaccine at GP surgeries. Children aged two and three years will be able to get an appointment with their GP practice. This was previously prioritised to prevent children from getting seriously ill from flu and ending up hospital, and to break the chain of transmission of the virus to the wider population.
Health and social care workers will be invited for their vaccines through their employer.
Eligibility remains unchanged and is as follows.
In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, those eligible for a flu vaccine this year include:
- those aged 65 years and over
- those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by theGreen Book, chapter 19 (Influenza))
- pregnant women
- all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2023
- school-aged children (from Reception to Year 11)
- those in long-stay residential care homes
- carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants.
Those eligible for an autumn Covid vaccine are:
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in theImmunisation Green Book, COVID-19 chapter (Green Book)
- pregnant women
- 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.
The potential impact of BA.2.86 and its ability to evade the current available vaccines is difficult to estimate on the basis of limited available data worldwide. UKHSA will continue to monitor data relating to this variant both in the UK and internationally, as we do with all emergent and circulating variants, and will publish more detail when it is available.
