Frontline health and social care workers, adults over 65 and people aged 16-64 in clinical risk groups should be offered a jab this autumn, according to interim advice from The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The committee noted that 'considerable uncertainty' remains over the likelihood, timing and severity of any future wave of COVID-19, and that the advice should be considered as interim and for the purposes of operational planning for the autumn for the NHS, care homes and wider health community.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said:

"Last year’s autumn booster vaccination programme provided excellent protection against severe COVID-19, including against the Omicron variant.

"We have provided interim advice on an autumn booster programme for 2022 so that the NHS and care homes are able to start the necessary operational planning, to enable high levels of protection for more vulnerable individuals and frontline healthcare staff over next winter.

"As we continue to review the scientific data, further updates to this advice will follow."

The committee will announce its final plans for the autumn programme, including further detail on the definitions of clinical risk groups, in due course.