Covid Vaccination Programme Update
Written by AlisonFreemantle on Friday 16th August 2024
Autumn start date and eligible cohorts
The government has accepted the final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding a COVID-19 autumn/winter 2024/25 vaccination programme.
The groups to be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in autumn/winter 2024/25 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 defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Green Book on immunisation against infectious disease
- frontline health and social care workers - this includes pharmacy staff
- staff working in care homes for older adults
The government has decided that frontline health and social care workers and staff working in care homes for older adults will continue to be offered COVID-19 vaccination in the autumn 2024 programme in England.
The cohorts eligible for the flu programme are the same as those set out in the National Flu Immunisation Programme 2024 to 2025 letter.
Service delivery timings
Flu vaccinations for pregnant women, and all children cohorts, will commence from Sunday 1st September 2024.
The main flu and COVID-19 vaccination campaign will commence on Tuesday 3 October 2024.
All COVID-19 vaccinations will start on 3 October.
An October start date reflects JCVI advice that the flu vaccine’s effectiveness can wane over time in adults and so a later start date is preferable.
NHS England letter: