The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced its recommendations on who will be eligible for a Covid booster vaccine in autumn 2023.
The announcement follows interim advice published in January.
The JCVI has advised that the following groups be offered a vaccine this year: residents in a care home for older adults; all adults aged 65 years and over; persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book, COVID-19 chapter (Green Book); frontline health and social care workers; persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts (as defined in the Green Book) of people with immunosuppression; and persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers (as defined in the Green Book) and staff working in care homes for older adults.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of COVID-19 immunisation on the JCVI, said: "The autumn booster programme will continue to focus on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill. These persons will benefit the most from a booster vaccination.
"It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up a booster this autumn – helping to prevent them from hospitalisations and deaths arising from the virus over the winter months."
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "The COVID-19 virus has not gone away and we expect to see it circulating more widely over the winter months with the numbers of people getting ill increasing.
"The booster is being offered to those at higher risk of severe illness and by taking up the booster vaccine this autumn, you will increase your protection ahead of winter, when respiratory viruses are typically at their peak."
NHS England will confirm details on how and when eligible people can access the autumn booster vaccine in due course.
Health and social care secretary, Steve Barclay, said: "I have now accepted the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation on eligibility for the 2023 autumn booster programme, to protect those most vulnerable from Covid.
"NHS England will confirm details on how and when eligible people can access the autumn booster vaccine shortly, and I would urge anyone invited – including those yet to have their first jab - to come forward as soon as possible."
