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Autumn and Winter vaccination strategy 2021 published

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 1st October 2021

COVID-19 booster vaccinations will be offered to the most vulnerable groups, who will also be prioritised for flu vaccines.

The Scottish Government have set out their strategy for COVID-19 and flu vaccinations through autumn and winter 2021 (this link will take you away from our website). This follows previous vaccination strategies, through which a total of 92% of adults have had their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 86% have had two doses.

Under the new strategy, a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to individuals that were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose. In addition, a COVID-19 booster vaccination programme will be rolled out to priority groups including:

  • Residents of care homes for older adults
  • All adults aged 50 or over
  • Frontline health and social care workers
  • All those aged 16 to 49 with underlying health conditions that put them at risk of underlying health conditions, or are adult carers
  • Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

Booster doses will be offered at least six months after a second dose, and alongside seasonal flu vaccination where it is appropriate to do so. Letters will be issued to the highest priority groups from early October, whilst other groups will be able to book online or via phone from late October.

The seasonal flu vaccination programme will run from September 2021 until the end of March 2022. Eligibility for the flu vaccine has been widened this year and includes:

  • Existing Eligible Groups
    • Pre-school and Primary School children
    • People aged 65 and over
    • People aged 18-64 at clinical risk
    • Pregnant women
    • People in residential care homes
    • Unpaid and young carers
    • Health and social care workers
  • Expanded Eligibility
    • Independent healthcare contractors, e.g. staff in GP practices and community pharmacists
    • Teachers and pupil facing support staff
    • Prison population and support staff
    • Secondary school pupils
    • People aged 50-64

Further detail about the flu vaccination is available from NHS Inform (this link will take you away from our website).

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