London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

NHS England to roll out dual-variant Covid jab from September

NHS England to roll out dual-variant Covid jab from September

Booster programme to start on 5 September as reports say NHS may not have enough stock of new jab
NHS England will launch its Covid booster programme on 5 September, officials have said, as the UK prepares to becomes the world’s first healthcare system to offer a next-generation vaccine that targets both the original strain of the virus and the Omicron variant.

More than 26 million people will be eligible for another Covid-19 jab over the next few months, with health officials hoping a second national booster programme will lessen the risk of both coronavirus and flu cases overwhelming already overstretched hospitals this winter.

Steve Russell, the national director for vaccinations and screening, said: “This winter will be the first time we see the real effects of both Covid and flu in full circulation as we go about life as normal – and so it is vital that those most susceptible to serious illness from these viruses come forward for the latest jab in order to protect themselves.”

The health service is engulfed in one of the worst summer crises in decades, especially in urgent and emergency care, with some elderly patients waiting hours for an ambulance and even longer to be admitted to a hospital ward.

The autumn booster campaign is among a package of NHS measures to prepare for winter, including increasing bed capacity and the number of 999 and NHS 111 staff to deal with any additional pressure.

NHS England said care home residents and housebound people would be among the first to be vaccinated when the scheme began on 5 September. A wider programme would start on 12 September. The other UK nations are organising their own schedules.

The UK is the first country in the world to approve Moderna’s bivalent vaccine – which targets the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant BA.1 – but there remain concerns there will not be enough doses to offer the new jab to everyone eligible.

NHS England said people would be offered the bivalent vaccine where appropriate, and subject to sufficient supply. It said the original vaccines continued to provide good protection, and urged people to take the jab when offered.

As with previous campaigns, the oldest and most vulnerable people would be called first, with people able to book online or through 119, as long as it had been three months since their last dose. Up to 3,000 sites were expected to be part of the programme, including GP practices and community pharmacies, and new venues may be added.

“The NHS was the first healthcare system in the world to deliver a Covid-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials, and will now be the first to deliver the new, variant-busting vaccine when the rollout begins at the start of September,” said the NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard.

She urged anyone invited for an autumn Covid booster and a flu jab “to do so as quickly as possible – it will give you maximum protection this winter”.

NHS England will be offering the flu vaccine from 1 September, and, if eligible, people can have it at the same time as the Covid one.

The national booking service is expected to open during the week of 5 September, with people most susceptible to serious illness from Covid-19 and those aged 75 and above invited to book an appointment from that week.

Health and social care staff will also be able to get the autumn booster. All providers are being asked to ensure their staff are offered the autumn jab, potentially alongside the flu jab. Everyone over 50 and carers over 16 are also among those eligible for the flu vaccine this winter.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×