People most at risk of serious illness should they catch Covid-19 are to be offered an additional vaccine this spring.

The government has confirmed it will roll-out a booster programme for those most likely to benefit from an additional jab.

A list of patients to be called forward has been put together by The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Similar to previous spring and autumn booster campaigns, the Committee’s recommendation is to offer another vaccine to those at high risk of serious disease if they contracted coronavirus.

Patients to be contacted this spring will include adults aged 75 and older, residents in care homes for older adults and babies aged six months and over who are immunosupressed.

The advice on eligibility is similar to that issued last year - however the age of youngsters who are immunosuppressed and eligible has been brought down from five years and over in 2023, to six months and over this year.

This, says the JCVI, follows updated advice last April on Covid-19 vaccination for children aged six months to four years who are in at-risk groups.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID-19 immunisation on the JCVI, said: “The Covid-19 spring programme will continue to focus on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill, who will benefit the most from a further vaccine dose.

“It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up the offer this spring. Current vaccines provide good protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and can protect those most vulnerable from death.”

UKHSA surveillance data collected from last spring’s roll-out showed that those who received a vaccine were around 50% less likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid-19 from two weeks following vaccination, compared to those who did not receive one.

NHS England says it will confirm details as to how and when eligible people will be able to book their spring vaccine in ‘due course’.