Does anyone know how early CEV people can get a booster dose?

[Lagirl20]

Does anyone have any intel on how early CEV people can get a booster dose?
Do you think mass vaccination centres will continue to be used?
I’m CEV and in my 30s. Will I be likely to get it in September - or will I be waiting months?

@GreatBigBeautifulTommorow - that’s because there wasn’t enough evidence then scoot the safety of doing both together. There’s now more evidence (from the Com Flu COV study) which suggests it is safe. So JCVI’s interim advice about a Covid booster programme from September (link in my previous post) specifically advises that both are given together.

*about, not scoot!

@Wigeon great, thank you

@Wigeon actually there was a decision in January that 1st and 2nd jabs could differ - look for the PHE guidance. Thankfully the majority of people have been able to have the same one but the guidance clearly states the reasons why it would be acceptable to swap them.

Flu vaccines for most will not be given in September - they are never delivered by September for starters. Perhaps by those getting vaccinated in October / November but not in September.

Yeah, that's the other point, people had to wait four weeks between flu vaccines this year and their covid vaccine.

@AureliaStars I can imagine flu campaign will start earlier this year as it’s predicted flu season will start earlier and be more severe than previous years due to a reduction in immunity from mask wearing and SD.

@AureliaStars I was responding to a question on this thread about whether the booster dose will be the same or different. The answer to that is we don’t know yet. It is a different question to whether mixing of the 1st and 2nd doses is possible/permitted.

The PHE guidance does allow mixing of vaccines in some very specific and limited circs for 1st and 2nd dose. But overall it says (page 12):

“There is currently no evidence as to the effects on immunogenicity of receiving a different COVID-19 vaccine for the second dose than was received for the first although studies are underway. Therefore, every effort should be made to determine which vaccine the individual received for their first dose and to complete the 2-dose course with the same vaccine.”

On the question of giving flu and Covid jabs at the same time - the NHS letter I linked to above (from 1 July) clearly asks systems to plan for doing both at the same time from Sept. In addition to locally procured flu vaccine supply, there is likely to be nationally procured flu supply (eg to supply to mass vaccs centres). And every effort is being made to be ready to do some flu from September, alongside Covid, given it’ll be the most at risk patients who are getting the Covid booster first.

@AureliaStars

Yeah, that's the other point, people had to wait four weeks between flu vaccines this year and their covid vaccine.

There is now more evidence from the Com Flu COV study as to the safety of doing flu and Covid vaccine at the same time, so the new interim advice from JCVI reflects the latest evidence.

The JCVI advice linked to above says: “ Early evidence on the concomitant administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccines used in the UK supports the delivery of both vaccines at the same time where appropriate.”

Does this mean that people with asthma who are usually eligible for the flu vaccine on the NHS will be offered a booster in stage 2 ?

There has been no guidance on boosters yet. I arranged vaccines as part of my job.

@RuthW

There has been no guidance on boosters yet. I arranged vaccines as part of my job.

@RuthW - have you seen the planning guidance from NHS England on 1 July and the JCVI interim advice from 30 June?

@ArianaG

Does this mean that people with asthma who are usually eligible for the flu vaccine on the NHS will be offered a booster in stage 2 ?

It seems so from what the initial JCVI advise shows, everyone who was ina covid at risk group plus everyone normally eligible for a free NHS flu vaccination. Fingers crossed they don't change their minds again like with removing many asthmatics from group 6 for the covid jabs.

Wondering if any healthcare workers have heard anything new in the last week?

They haven't even decided whether or not to give (3rd dose) boosters.

Data coming out of Oxford university, looking at AZ, suggest that immunity may be longer lasting than we hoped. They are keeping a watch on variants so will presumably swing into action if they find something that suggests a booster or tweaked vaccine is needed.

@amicissimma

They haven't even decided whether or not to give (3rd dose) boosters.

Data coming out of Oxford university, looking at AZ, suggest that immunity may be longer lasting than we hoped. They are keeping a watch on variants so will presumably swing into action if they find something that suggests a booster or tweaked vaccine is needed.

They have now! 🙄🙄🙄

As I understand it St John Ambulance are expecting to be involved in the roll out of the boosters & the 16/17 year old but not the flu jab, which seems a bit daft to me but it must be an organisational thing (& I imagine it could change). Some of the mass hubs will close as the buildings need to be used for their original purpose.

I've booked the family flu jabs at Boots, and will fit covid boosters in when they become available. I'm not going to hold off getting the flu jab done whilst waiting for covid booster announcements

The CEV person is immune suppressed so should be in the first group. The rest of us in group 2 assuming household of CEV is confirmed in that group, and that 'adult' in that context means 16+ (as it did for first two shots)