Vaccinations
As we move into autumn and winter, protection from any earlier COVID-19 vaccination you may have had will be starting to wane. For those who are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19, the NHS offers a free vaccine in the autumn, previously known as the ‘Autumn Booster’.
Current vaccines provide good protection against severe disease and hospitalisation. UKHSA surveillance data relating to last autumn’s programme shows that those who received a vaccine were around 45% less likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19 from 2 weeks following vaccination, compared to those who remained unvaccinated. Protection lasts for around 4 months.
Vaccination continues to help protect against severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths arising from COVID-19. Between November, December and January over 38,000 people were admitted to hospital with the virus.
From 1 September 2024
• Pregnant women
• All children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2024
• All children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years
From 3rd October 2024
• Aged 65 years and over
• Aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, Influenza Chapter 19)
• Those in long-stay residential care homes
• Carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• Frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme
• Primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6) (TO BE DONE AT SCHOOL)
• Secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11) (TO BE DONE AT SCHOOL)
- Adults aged 65 years and over
- Residents in a care home for older adults
- 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 Green Book)
- Frontline Health and Social Care Workers and staff working in Care Homes for Older Adults
• Carer’s whether paid or unpaid are not eligible
• Close contacts of immunocompromised individual’s are not eligible
Some individuals who are immunosuppressed due to currently having or recently having radiotherapy, chemotherapy or on immunosuppressant drugs prescribed by the hospital (no more than six months ago) will not appear on our lists. You will need to contact us for us to check your eligibility.
It's important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection, but if you or your child missed a vaccine, contact the practice to catch up.
