VULNERABLE Brits will get more Covid boosters in spring and next winter – but jabs for low-risk people will be scrapped this year.
Ministers today said an autumn 2023 booster rollout will go ahead for high-risk people.
Healthy people will no longer get Covid vaccines after this year[/caption]
And a smaller group of those in the most danger from Covid will get spring jabs, too.
But vaccines for healthy people will be wound down as Britain moves on from Covid.
Booster jabs will no longer be available to healthy under-50s from February 12.
Offers of first and second doses will also be withdrawn later this year.
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Health Minister Maria Caulfield said the decision was taken “as the transition continues away from a pandemic emergency response towards pandemic recovery”.
NHS jabs director Steve Russell praised the “remarkable” rollout, which has delivered 145million doses since December 2020, and issued a final call to Brits.
He said: “I would encourage anyone who has not yet had their Covid booster to book an appointment in the next couple of weeks and make the most of the offer available.”
The move marks the end of an era which has seen 43m people take at least two doses of the lifesaving jabs.
Up to eight million people are still not double-jabbed and will run out of time to come forward.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisaton, which advised ministers on the latest move, said the vaccine rollout should now become “more targeted”.
It added “emergency surge vaccines” will be held on standby in case of a deadly new variant.
All over-50s and Brits with long-term illnesses could be part of the autumn rollout again, lining up with flu vaccines.
Spring boosters are only likely to go to care home residents and people with weak immune systems.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chair of Covid vaccines at the agency, said: “The Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to reduce severe disease across the population, while helping to protect the NHS.
“That is why we have advised planning for further booster vaccines for persons at higher risk of serious illness through an autumn booster programme later this year.
“We will very shortly also provide final advice on a spring booster programme for those at greatest risk.”