New variant scare? UK’s winter top-up Covid vaccine plan

UK health authorities began rolling out a winter vaccine schedule for the most medically vulnerable as the country brought forward a planned early October rollout amid concerns around the new Covid variant BA.2.86.

The National Health Service (NHS) said residents of older adult care homes and people who are housebound will begin receiving their Covid and flu vaccinations from this week and other high risk groups will begin to be invited to get their “top up protection” from next week.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not classified BA.2.86 as a “variant of concern” but it is being monitored closely due to its proclivity to mutate, it said.

“While BA.2.86 has a significant number of mutations to the viral genome compared to other currently circulating Covid-19 variants, the data so far is too limited to draw firm conclusions about the impact this will have on the transmissibility, severity or immune escape properties of the virus,” Dr Renu Bindra, an incident director for the UKHSA said.

“It is clear that there is some degree of widespread community transmission, both in the UK and globally, and we are working to ascertain the full extent of this. In the meantime, it remains vital that all those eligible come forward to receive their autumn vaccine as soon as it is offered to them,” she added.

Steve Russell, NHS director of vaccinations and screening, said, “With concerns arising over new COVID variants, it’s vital we adapt the programme and bring it forward for those most at risk, and so I strongly urge everyone eligible to come forward as soon as they can for this important protection in colder months.”

“Older people and those in clinical risk groups remain at highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19…The vaccine continues to provide the best protection against serious illness and hospitalisation from COVID-19, so please make sure you get vaccinated when offered and encourage loved ones who are eligible to do the same,” explained Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA.