Winter Booster for eligible 16-64yo
An additional winter booster is now also recommended for other people at increased risk, to be given 4 months after their first booster dose. This applies to people aged 16-64 who have:
A medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness (see eligible conditions below).
People with disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increase risk of poor outcome from COVID-19.
Healthy people aged 16 to 64 years, who do not have a risk factor for severe COVID-19, are not recommended to receive an additional winter booster dose at this time, as their risk of severe illness after their first booster dose is likely to remain very low. This includes healthy people from occupational groups such as healthcare workers. Pregnant women who do not have an additional risk factor for severe disease (such as in Table 1) and who have received three doses of COVID-19 vaccine are also not currently recommended for a winter booster dose at this time.
Eligible Category
Examples
Immunocompromising conditions
Cancer
Non-haematological cancer including those diagnosed within the past 5 years or on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted anti-cancer therapy (active treatment or recently completed) or with advanced disease regardless of treatment. Survivors of childhood cancer.
Chronic inflammatory conditions requiring medical treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) or immune-suppressive or immunomodulatory therapies.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and similar who are being treated.
Chronic lung disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease and severe asthma (defined as requiring frequent hospital visits or the use of multiple medications).
Chronic liver disease
Cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease.
Severe chronic kidney disease (stage 4 or 5)
Chronic neurological disease
Stroke, neurodegenerative disease (e.g dementia, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease), myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, myopathies, paralytic syndromes, epilepsy.
Diabetes mellitus requiring medication
Chronic cardiac disease
Ischaemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, congestive cardiac failure, cardiomyopathies, poorly controlled hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, complex congenital heart disease.
People with disability with significant or complex health needs or multiple comorbidities which increase risk of poor outcome from COVID-19
Particularly those with trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) or complex multi-system disorders.
Severe obesity with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2
Severe underweight with BMI < 16.5 kg/m2
