UPDATES

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced its advice to government for the Covid-19 vaccine programme this year.

Similar to previous spring and autumn campaigns, the Committee's advice is to offer the vaccine to those at high risk of serious disease and who are most likely to benefit from vaccination.

Vaccination continues to help protect against severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19. JCVI advises the following groups be offered a Covid-19 vaccine this spring:

The advice on eligibility is similar to last spring, but with the age of individuals who are immunosuppressed now eligible from aged 6 months and over – compared with 5 years and over in 2023.

This follows updated advice last April on Covid-19 vaccination of children aged 6 months to 4 years in a clinical risk group.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of Covid-19 immunisation on the JCVI, 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.