Frontline health and social care workers included in autumn Covid vaccination programme

Frontline health and social care workers, care home staff and unpaid carers should not be included in the autumn Covid-19 vaccination programme, according to a review published today, although Welsh Ministers have decided to make an autumn vaccination available to these groups.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is an independent expert advisory committee which advises UK health departments about immunisation, making recommendations about vaccination schedules and vaccine safety.

As part of its latest review of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, the JCVI has today published a statement with its final advice about eligibility and vaccine products for the autumn 2024 Covid-19 vaccination programme.

“Higher risk”

The primary aim of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is to boost immunity in those at higher risk from Covid-19 and to improve protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death.

In its statement, JCVI has advised the following groups should not be included in the autumn 2024-25 programme:

• Frontline health and social care workers
• Staff working in care homes for older adults
• Unpaid carers

However, as the programme is due to start in a matter of weeks, removing these groups at this stage could cause concern.

The Welsh Ministers have decided to make a Covid-19 autumn vaccination available to these groups as part of the national programme.

Last time

It is anticipated this will be the last time a proactive offer is made to these groups, subject to the future public health position and ongoing review by the JCVI.

Furthermore, recognising the JCVI’s advice that the clinical benefit of Covid-19 vaccination for these groups is minimal, I wish to make it clear that health board resources should not be channelled towards driving uptake of this vaccine among these groups.

The JCVI has also advised against the inclusion of household contacts of the immunosuppressed.

As part of the anticipated transition to a narrower programme in future years, health boards will be permitted to vaccinate people in this group who come forward for vaccination, but no proactive offer will made.

Eligible groups

In summary, in autumn 2024, the following groups will be eligible for a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine:

• Residents in a care home for older adults
• All adults aged 65 years and over
• People aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables three and four of the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book
• Frontline health and social care workers
• Staff working in care homes for older adults
• Unpaid carers

Planning is already underway by NHS organisations to prepare for the autumn Covid-19 vaccination programme.