NHS urges most vulnerable to get covid winter jab and self-declare eligibility

NHS England called on 5 December 2022 for people at risk of serious illness from covid to check whether they or a loved one are due a winter booster, and reminded them they can self-declare eligibility through the National Booking Service or their GP¹. England's most senior doctor, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said hundreds of thousands of people who are at risk are yet to come forward and may not be aware they have a condition that makes them eligible¹.

Around 6.4 million people are eligible for the jab because of a medical condition, and the NHS says it has now invited everyone¹. So far around 350,000 people have self-declared as being at risk in order to get their jab¹. More than 16 million people have had a covid booster and 18 million have had a flu jab¹. The programme has vaccinated more than two thirds (67%) of those with a weakened immune system with a booster, and more than seven in 10 (71%) people considered severely immunosuppressed have had a top jab¹.

Eligibility because of a medical condition is set by the JCVI and includes pregnant women, people with a learning disability or severe mental illness, and conditions such as blood cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and asthma, among other chronic conditions outlined in the Green Book¹. Carers and household contacts of anyone with a weakened immune system can also get a booster on the NHS, in addition to everyone over 50 and health and social care workers¹. The NHS says it takes up to 14 days to get maximum protection from a booster dose¹. People can declare eligibility online via the National Booking Service or use a previous invite as long as it has been 91 days since their last vaccine¹.

The announcement also covered flu. The NHS said more than 800,000 parents of under fives have been reminded to get their children vaccinated, with 20 times as many children hospitalised with flu the previous week compared with a year earlier¹. Health Minister Maria Caulfield said it was vital all those eligible for a free flu jab come forward, and that anyone contacted about a covid vaccine should book as soon as possible, checking with their GP if unsure¹.

Why it matters for households

The call covers households in England where someone has a condition on the eligibility list, including conditions people may not connect with covid risk, such as asthma needing steroid tablets, diabetes or epilepsy¹. It also covers carers and household contacts of people with a weakened immune system, who can be vaccinated to help protect the person they care for or live with¹. The NHS says protection takes up to 14 days to reach its maximum after a booster, which is why the call was made ahead of the Christmas period¹. Charities quoted in the announcement noted lower vaccine uptake in the Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Black African and Black Caribbean communities, and Blood Cancer UK encouraged people in those communities to come forward¹. The MS Society said everyone with MS is eligible for a booster this winter¹. The NHS's guide to who can get a COVID-19 vaccine now sets out eligibility, and its page on vaccines that protect against outbreaks covers flu and covid together. Households protecting a vulnerable relative may find the guide to people at higher risk in an outbreak useful, and the health emergencies hub covers wider planning.

What happens next

The NHS advises anyone unsure whether they are eligible to check with their GP, and says those contacted about a covid vaccine should book as soon as possible¹. No closing date for the winter programme is given in the announcement¹.