Covid-19: Major change to vaccination programme coming in two weeks amid worry about new wave

The UK Government has received a recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisation (JCVI) to make changes to the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

As a result, the government has decided to change the programme in 2023,the British health minister Steve Barclay confirmed on Wednesday according to Reuters.

UK gov to end booster jabs for healthy adults

The JCVI recommended that the Covid-19 booster jab programme should be ended for healthy adults. Still, it should be available for frontline health workers and those at higher risk of severe disease such as older and immunosuppressed people.

According to Barclay, the 2022 autumn booster programme is scheduled to end on February 12.

The reason for ending the programme is due to the low uptakeof the booster jab in a move that vaccination experts have described as the nation moving away from the ‘emergency response’ to the Covid-19 pandemic, Independent reports.

Steve Russell, the director of vaccinations and screening at NHS England, commented on the UK government's decision, saying:

‘The transition continues away from a pandemic emergency response towards pandemic recovery’.

With the new changes healthy adults under 50 who have not benefitted from taking up a booster have just two-and-a-half weeks to take up the offer before they are no longer eligible.

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Early signs of new wave

Meanwhile, reports suggest that there are early signs of a new Covid-19 wave in the UK. According to BBC Science Focus, the new wave could be driven by the 'Kraken' variant which is reportedly becoming dominant in several countries including the UK.

Scientist, Prof Paul Hunter, from Norwich Medical School told the publication:

All the signs are that this is going to cause a bigger wave than we saw in the summer of 2022.

While infections are falling in the UK at the moment, I will expect that to reverse over the next few weeks.

Read more: Covid-19: Booked your booster shot? Here's the most common side effects and how to ease them

Sources used:

-Reuters: 'UK to give COVID booster dose to higher-risk groups in autumn'

-Independent: 'Warning of big change to Covid vaccines in UK'

- Science Focus: 'Kraken COVID variant: All you need to know about the UK's XBB.1.5 coronavirus strain'