To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and (b) other experts on the potential merits of offering the Covid-19 booster vaccine to frontline healthcare workers over 65 years old.

As with all United Kingdom vaccination programmes, the decision on which groups are eligible for a particular part of the programme is only made following careful consideration of the groups most at risk of illness, severe illness, or death, as a consequence of infection. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to the following individuals in autumn 2024:

- adults aged 65 years old and over;

- residents in a care home for older adults; and

- persons aged six months to 64 years old in a clinical risk group, as defined in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book.

My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care accepted the JCVI’s advice for COVID-19 vaccination in autumn 2024, and so COVID-19 vaccination will be offered to all adults aged 65 years old and over in the upcoming campaign.