Social care and frontline health workers need to be ready for autumn boosters and jabs. Emily Kerrigan, QCS Domiciliary lead explains.
It only seems like yesterday that the start of summer was upon us, and we were preparing ourselves for the longer summer days and better weather; not knowing the unprecedented heatwaves to come and the need to protect service users and staff even further during this time.
And now as we start to approach the autumn and winter months, the need for preparing begins again, this time for the flu and COVID-19 vaccination season which will be rolled out to those eligible over the coming months.
What we know so far
Like every year, the flu programme will begin in earnest from 1 September, with visits to care homes taking place from 5 September.
Where there are opportunities to co-administer the flu and COVID-19 vaccinations together, these will be taken, but this will not unduly delay the administration of one jab or the other.
The COVID-19 booster programme will see the NHS become the first healthcare system in the world to use the next generation bivalent COVID vaccine, which targets both the original coronavirus and the Omicron variant. Other vaccines will also be available, and it has been stressed by the JCVI and MHRA, that they to provide great protection and may be offered during the COVID-19 booster programme dependent upon supply.
Who is eligible?
It was recently confirmed, following JCVI advice, that the following groups will be given the COVID-19 booster vaccination this autumn:
- Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
- Frontline health and social care workers
- All adults aged 50 years and over
- Persons aged 5 to 49 years in a clinical risk group, as set out in the Green Book
- Persons aged 5 to 49 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
- Persons aged 16 to 49 years who are carers, as set out in the Green Book
For those in the health and social care sector this affects staff and service users who might fall into one of the criteria mentioned above.
Whilst visits to care homes and housebound people will be scheduled, the National Booking Service will open from 5 September, allowing those that are invited to, to book an appointment. The oldest and most vulnerable will be contacted first.
The JCVI advice for the COVID-19 booster will affect approximately 26 million people in England alone.
How to prepare for vaccinations?
Whilst waiting to be contacted for your vaccinations, there are already a number of resources readily available which support the upcoming COVID-19 booster vaccination programme, so it’s important that staff and service users are familiar with these.
Start to have conversations early with staff and service users so they are provided with as much information now about the booster vaccination.
Ensure that rotas are continually planned to allow staff time to go and get their vaccination.