Officials have recommended that people at increased risk of serious illness from contracting Covid receive a booster dose of the vaccine this fall.
Older individuals and those who are clinically vulnerable are likely to receive their sixth dose of the Covid vaccine before new waves of the virus are expected next winter.
The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunizations (JCVI) met on Wednesday to decide which age groups will receive the course in the fall of 2023.
A small, more targeted group of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable will also be offered a booster this spring in addition to the fall injection.
The JCVI also recommended that people aged 16 to 49 who are not at clinical risk of contracting Covid should no longer need to be vaccinated. Individuals in this age group who received two doses of the vaccine will continue to be eligible for a third dose through the 2021 Fall Booster Program, but this offer expires on February 12th.
Anyone under the age of 50 wishing to receive their third dose is strongly advised to make an appointment before this date.
And for those under 50, who are clinically unresponsive and have not yet received their first dose of the Covid vaccine, it is recommended to take advantage of the offer before it ends next month.
As multiple waves of Covid hit the UK in 2022, health officials have targeted the fall for booster shots to limit the number of people hospitalized with Covid ahead of another winter crisis for the NHS.
The JCVI also states that “emergency vaccination” may be required for the wider population if an entirely new variant of Covid emerges that is significantly different from Omicron and its globally dominant sub-series.
Individuals over 50 years of age or at clinical risk if under 50 years of age, nursing home residents and staff, primary care medical and social workers, and people living with immunocompromised patients are still eligible for the basic course vaccinations against Covid, if you haven’t had one yet.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of the Covid-19 vaccination department at JCVI, said: “The Covid-19 vaccination program continues to reduce the number of serious illnesses in the population while helping to protect the NHS.
“For this reason, we have recommended scheduling additional revaccinations for those at increased risk of serious illness later this year as part of the fall revaccination.”
“We will also provide final recommendations on the spring stimulus plan for those most at risk very soon.”
The latest data shows that 64.5 percent of those over 50 and 82.4 percent of those over 75 received boosters in the fall of 2022.
Only 0.1 percent of young people under 50 have received their third booster per week since April last year.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.