Adults who have Down’ syndrome could get a booster Covid-19 jab as soon as September, under plans which will see the most vulnerable receive added protection against the virus.
It follows interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The plans are intended to coincide with the rollout of the annual flu jab, and aim to ensure that protection from the first and second doses is maintained during the winter.
The final JCVI advice will be published before September, and although officials say say a third vaccine may not be needed, scientific advisors to the government say they are taking ‘no chances’ and want to give the NHS time to plan. If needed, the booster programme is hoped to be deployed rapidly from September.
The JCVI’s interim advice is that a third booster jab is offered to the following groups in two stages:
Stage 1. The following people should be offered a third dose Covid-19 booster vaccine and the annual influenza vaccine, as soon as possible from September 2021:
- adults aged 16 years and over who are immunosuppressed;
- those living in residential care homes for older adults;
- all adults aged 70 years or over;
- adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable (this includes all adult who have Down’s syndrome)
- frontline health and social care workers.
Stage 2. The following people should be offered a third Covid-19 booster vaccine as soon as practicable after Stage 1, with equal emphasis on deployment of the influenza vaccine where eligible:
- all adults aged 50 years and over
- all adults aged 16 – 49 years who are in an influenza or Covid-19 at-risk group as outlined in the Green Book
- Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals
More information about the booster rollout can be found here.