These groups of people can get a Covid booster vaccination in the spring

Groups of people will be offered a Covid booster jab this spring. On Wednesday the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published a statement recommending the vaccination for people it considers would benefit most.

It comes as part of its latest review of the coronavirus vaccination programme. Its aim is to prevent severe disease, hospitalisation and death arising from the virus. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

The groups eligible for the jab include:

• Adults aged 75 years and over
• Residents in a care home for older adults
• Individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed

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The JCVI said it considered data from the UK and internationally which suggested older people were at the highest risk of severe disease if infected. The committee also stated that the spring dose should be offered around six months after the last vaccine dose, although flexibility around the timing is allowed.

The latest Covid XBB-variant vaccines, which most closely match currently circulating variants, are considered preferable for use in the campaign. These are the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA XBB.1.5 vaccines.

Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services, said: “I have accepted this advice and health boards have been asked to plan their spring booster programmes on this basis. The details of the programme will be set out imminently in a Welsh Health Circular issued by the chief medical officer.

“As ever, I am extremely grateful to the NHS and everyone involved in the vaccination programme for their continued hard work to help keep the most vulnerable in our communities safe and protected.”