Why are 50-64 year olds not eligible for flu or Covid-19 vaccinations this winter? The following guidance has been provided by NHS England:
• Previous COVID-19 booster programmes offered vaccination to a larger group of individuals as part of the pandemic emergency response. The success of these programmes has enabled us to live with Covid and, this year, we are able to scale back the number of people who require an autumn booster. The risk of developing severe COVID-19 continues to be strongly associated with increasing age and underlying health conditions and therefore the focus is on those at greatest risk of serious disease.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, the flu vaccination programme was expanded to those aged 50 and over to ensure more people were protected from a potential threat of co-circulation of flu and COVID-19, and to reduce pressure on the NHS. Following the transition to living with COVID-19 with a firmly established vaccination programme in place, the temporary expansion to the flu programme is no longer required and this year’s flu vaccine offer has reverted back to those aged 65 and over.
