ELIGIBLE Warrington residents will now be offered a Covid vaccine earlier due to the risk of the new variant.

Although originally due to start in October, the adult flu and Covid vaccination programme will now begin on September 11.

It comes after the NHS has been asked to bring the programme forward due to the increased risks presented by the new Covid variant, BA.2.86, following an announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency.

The NHS will be working quickly to ensure as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated by the end of October.

Residents of older adult care homes and those most at risk including those who are immunosuppressed will receive their covid vaccine first.

Carers, pregnant women, and health and social care staff will all be among the groups to be offered a covid jab this winter, as well as adults aged 65 and over.

Eligible people should wait to receive an invite from their local provider.

From September 18, the NHS will start to invite people in priority order of risk and those eligible will be able to book an appointment on the National Booking Service.

Where people had already booked an appointment for their flu vaccination earlier in September with their local provider, these appointments can go ahead. If vaccine supply has been ordered for covid and flu, sites can start vaccinating against both.

Wherever possible, vaccinations for flu and Covid-19 should still be offered at the same time, making it easier and more convenient for people to get vital protection from both viruses ahead of winter.

Dr Fiona Lemmens, associate medical director, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, said: “Vaccinations are our best defence against flu and COVID-19 ahead of what could be a very challenging winter.

“In line with the latest expert advice, we’ll now be starting vaccination earlier than originally planned and NHS teams across Cheshire and Merseyside will accelerate delivery of the programme to ensure as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated by the end of October.

“Once eligible people receive their invitations, I’d urge them to come forward as soon as possible to get their vital protection against both covid and flu.”

Last year, in Cheshire and Merseyside more than 940,000 people were given a flu vaccine and more than 784,000 eligible people received the covid autumn dose.

In total, more than 6.8 million COVID-19 vaccinations have now been given by healthcare staff and volunteers in Cheshire and Merseyside since the programme started in December 2020.

In line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, those eligible for a flu vaccine this year include:

•             those aged 65 years and over

•             those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, chapter 19 (Influenza))

•             pregnant women

•             all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2023

•             school-aged children (from Reception to Year 11)

•             those in long-stay residential care homes

•             carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person

•             close contacts of immunocompromised individuals

•             frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

 

Those eligible for an autumn covid vaccine are:

•             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

•             persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers (as defined in the Green Book) and staff working in care homes for older adults.