All adults to be offered COVID-19 boosters by end of January

Following advice from the JCVI, everyone who is currently eligible will be able to book a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose from 3 months (reduced from 6 months) after their second dose. The government has also accepted advice that the booster programme be extended to 18-39 year olds

SPS commentary:

The JCVI published new advice on 29th November, in response to emergence of the Omicron variant, recommending the following immediate measures:

  1. Booster vaccination eligibility should be expanded to include all adults aged 18 years to 39 years.
  2. Booster vaccination should now be offered in order of descending age groups, with priority given to the vaccination of older adults and those in a COVID-19 at-risk group. Booster vaccination should not be given within 3 months of completion of the primary course.
  3. Severely immunosuppressed individuals who have completed their primary course (3 doses) should be offered a booster dose with a minimum of 3 months between the third primary and booster dose. Those who have not yet received their third dose may be given the third dose now to avoid further delay. A further booster dose can be given in 3 months, in line with the clinical advice on optimal timing.
  4. Both the Moderna (50 microgram) and Pfizer-BioNTech (30 microgram) vaccines should be used with equal preference in the COVID-19 booster programme. Both vaccines have been shown to substantially increase antibody levels when offered as a booster dose.

 

The NHS will roll out this latest phase of the programme to the most vulnerable first, offering the booster jab to those over 40 who would have previously had to wait six months, before moving on to younger age groups. Around 400 military personnel will be drafted in to support deployment, with 1,500 community pharmacy sites, additional hospital hubs, and pop-up sites opening in convenient locations across the country.

 

The JCVI additionally recommends that all children and young people aged 12 to 15 years should be offered a second dose (30 micrograms) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a minimum of 12 weeks from the first dose, subject to appropriate consideration by deployment teams regarding feasibility.

Department of Health and Social Care