“Nobody left behind’ offer of covid boosters in Wales to end in March

Coronavirus boosters for those aged five and above in Wales will no longer be routinely offered from next month.

It comes as part of new advice issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert committee which advises United Kingdom health departments about immunisation.

The committee has recommended that for a smaller group of persons (such as persons of older age and those who are immunosuppressed) an extra booster vaccine dose may be offered in spring 2023. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It means that the current ‘nobody left behind’ approach to coronavirus vaccinations, which has been in place in Wales since autumn 2021, will come to an end.

From autumn the jabs will only be offered to those those at higher risk of falling severely ill with covid.

The initial two dose universal primary course of vaccine, that has been offered from December 2020 to all the population aged over five, will end on 30 June 2023

A universal booster (third) dose, offered from autumn 2021 to all the population aged over five, will end on 31 March 2023

This means that those aged five to 49, who have not had their primary course or their 2021 booster dose, have until those dates to take up these offers.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan, said: “Due to the high level of strong population immunity developed over the past two and a half years, and as we move from a pandemic emergency response towards a more sustainable, business as usual approach:

“This does not signal a closure of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, we expect COVID­-19 vaccination to continue to be a feature of our vaccination programme in Wales.

“People who develop a new health condition that places them in a clinical risk group, who haven’t yet had their primary course and/or booster dose, will still be able to be vaccinated during the next campaign window or sooner on the advice of a clinician.

“Additionally, as previously announced, people at higher risk (as determined by the JCVI) will be offered an additional booster in Autumn 2023 and planning is also currently underway for a possible Spring 2023 booster programme, subject to advice shortly from the JCVI on this.

“The vaccine continues to be the best way to prevent serious illness and the spread of COVID-19 and I would urge everyone eligible who has not yet had their primary course or their original 2021 booster dose to come forward before these universal offers end.”