Carers eligible for autumn Covid boost

Unpaid family carers, people with learning disabilities, frontline health and social care workers, care home residents and the over 65s are eligible for an autumn vaccine booster.

This year’s autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccine programmes will start earlier than planned in England as a precautionary measure following the identification of a new COVID-19 variant.

Vaccinations will start from September 11.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Am I eligible for an autumn Covid booster?

The following people are eligible for an autumn Covid booster:

• Residents in care homes for older adults
• All adults aged 65 years and over
• People aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of the UKHSA Green Book on Immunisation
• frontline health and social care workers.
• People aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression, as defined in the UKHSA Green Book
• Family carers can get an autumn booster if they are eligible for Carer’s Allowance or if they are aged 16+ and are sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person at increased risk of dying if they get Covid (and therefore are clinically vulnerable).

This is because the risk of severe Covid continues to be strongly associated with increasing age and underlying health conditions.

When is the booster available and how do I book an appointment?

NHS England will confirm details on how and when eligible people can access the autumn booster vaccine soon. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised the autumn programme should aim to complete vaccinations by early December 2023.

How does the JCVI define a clinical risk group? 

Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over include:

• Chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke and individuals with cerebral palsy, profound multiple learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions.
• Diabetes
• Those with immunosuppression
• Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
• Morbid obesity
• Severe mental illness
• Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
• Pregnant women.

Clinical risk groups for those aged under 16 years include:

• Chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic heart conditions
• Chronic conditions of the kidney, liver or digestive system
• Chronic neurological disease
• Endocrine disorders
• Immunosuppression
• Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
• Serious genetic abnormalities that affect a number of systems
• Pregnancy.

What about people who’ve not had a Covid vaccine?

The JCVI advises that people who have not yet received their first Covid jab should be offered a single vaccine dose as their primary course. The criteria for eligibility for a first Covid vaccine is the same as the autumn 2023 booster.

If you need help with a health problem, contact Helen, our Family Health Adviser. She works with adults with learning disabilities and their families to ensure everyone can access the healthcare they need.

This post has been updated on 6/9/2023 to include news of an earlier start to the vaccination programme.