Around 600,000 over-75s, care home residents and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed will be invited to book a Covid booster this week.

It comes after advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in February recommended a further booster be advised for those who were at higher risk of severe Covid this autumn.

The advice said that its recommendation was due to vaccination declining over time and ‘many of the oldest adults received their most recent vaccine dose in September or October 2021’.

NHS England has said the vaccination programme will contact people when it is their turn to be vaccinated. People will then be able to book their appointment through the national booking system either online or by calling NHS 119.

In total, about five million people will be eligible for a spring booster dose, according to NHS England.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: ‘The NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme has not stopped in its efforts to protect people from coronavirus – around five million of the most vulnerable people will be eligible for a spring dose and from tomorrow (21 March), we will start giving eligible groups their additional top up in protection.

‘We have protected millions of people at speed thanks to the efforts of our staff, aided by volunteers. They will once again rise to the next challenge.’

Last month, analysis by the National Audit Office found that pharmacy-delivered Covid jabs were better value for money than mass vaccination centres.

Also in February, NHS England advised that GPs would not take the lead on the vaccination of children aged five to eleven, due to workload concerns.

It comes after a dramatic increase in Covid cases last week, according to data collected through the ZOE app.

This article was initially published on our sister title Management in Practice.