Covid vaccines at care homes as BA.2.86 variant spreading
The NHS will start handing out Covid booster shots and flu jabs to older people living in care homes in England over concerns about a highly mutated new Covid variant that is spreading.
The rollout begins on Monday and is to quickly top up the protection of those most at risk.
There have, so far, been 34 confirmed cases of BA.2.86 in England, with 28 of those behind a Norfolk care home outbreak.
It’s still too early to determine if the variant is more serious than previous variants.
The rollout stars with adult care homes and people who are housebound. Other groups will be invited to get the booster jab soon after.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also brought forward the booster rollout to early September.
People who can have a Covid booster include:
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- people aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group
- frontline health and social care workers
- people aged 12 to 64 who are household contacts of people with weakened immune systems
- people aged 16 to 64 who are carers, and staff working in care homes for older adults
Last autumn, all over-50s were offered an extra dose, but the government’s advisers on vaccines recommended that only over-65s should automatically be included this year.
The NHS will contact those who are eligible. People in England will be able to book their jabs through the NHS website, the NHS app or by calling 119 from 18 September.
