People at highest risk of serious disease from Covid-19 will receive a booster vaccine in the spring.
According to vaccine experts in the United Kingdom, it should be made available to everyone over 75, occupants of nursing homes, and anyone exceedingly vulnerable over the age of five.
Vaccinations at care homes in England are to commence in early April when Wales will also begin its program.
The NHS in other regions of the United Kingdom has not yet announced its plans.
It is recommended that the booster vaccine be administered six months after the initial dose.
According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), hospital admission rates for Covid-19 in autumn 2022 demonstrated that the risk of becoming severely ill from coronavirus was noticeably higher in individuals aged 75 and older.
They would profit most from a spring vaccination, and health officials have warned against complacency.
Elderly care centre residents and immunocompromised people over five will receive a booster shot.
They include individuals with organ transplants or blood cancer, as well as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
Bridging the divide
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), stated, “Vaccination remains the greatest method of protection against Covid-19, and the spring booster program allows those at the highest risk of severe illness to maintain their immunity.”
“This year’s spring program will bridge the gap between the scheduled autumn booster program and the spring program, allowing the most vulnerable individuals to be adequately protected throughout the summer.”
In April, the NHS in England will begin giving eligible people spring extra doses until late June. Wales has verified that it will begin on April 1.
Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sanofi/GSK, and Novavax are four distinct vaccine manufacturers that could be used.
The majority of dosages will probably protect against both the Omicron variant and previous strains.
Since last summer, the Omicron variant of Covid has spread the most, with Omicron BQ.1 being the most recent.
A children’s formulation of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine will be offered to minors under the age of 12.
According to Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at the UK Health Security Agency, Covid-19 is still circulating extensively and hospitalization rates for older patients have recently increased.
“Those at the highest risk of severe illness must not become complacent. And I would encourage everyone eligible to enroll in the supplement program once it begins.”
People at higher risk of severe Covid-19 illness will receive a booster vaccine in fall 2023.
In the fall of 2016, a supplemental dose was also given to frontline health and care workers, adults aged 50 and older, and some carers and household contacts.
