Care home residents and staff are set to be among the first in the world to receive the new, variant-tackling jabs from next week, as the NHS COVID-19 vaccination programme moves to the next phase.
The autumn booster rollout will begin on Monday with England’s care home residents, staff and people who are housebound first in line to receive their top up ahead of winter.
Around four million people who are at highest risk, including the over 75s and those with weakened immune systems, will also be eligible to book a vaccine through the National Booking Service next week, with the first appointments available from the following week.
The NHS will visit hundreds of care homes in the first week with thousands more planned throughout September and October.
Millions of invitations will be landing on doormats from 7 September inviting people to book their appointment without delay as the NHS protects the nation from COVID once again ahead of winter. The NHS will contact people when it is their turn to book in.
A record 3,100 sites are expected to be part of the rollout, including GP practices and community pharmacies, with new sites joining the programme all the time.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said: The precision and speed of the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme allowed us to get back to a pre-pandemic way of life and doing the things that we love.
“While we know that this winter will be challenging with a likely resurgence in both COVID and flu for the first time since before the pandemic, the best way to protect yourselves and your loved ones from serious illness is to get the newly approved, next generation covid vaccine when invited to do so, as well as your annual flu jab, to ensure you have maximum protection”.
