Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of introducing a discretionary exception for under-75s for the fourth covid-19 booster vaccine.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has set out that COVID-19 vaccinations should target those who are vulnerable to serious outcomes from infection. Therefore, the autumn booster programme includes those who are vulnerable through age, clinical condition or who are at high risk of transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable individuals. This includes many people aged under 75 years old.

On 15 July 2022, the Government accepted the advice of the JCVI to offer a booster vaccination in autumn to those at higher risk from severe COVID-19 in winter 2022/23. The booster dose will be offered to residents and staff in care homes for older adults; frontline health and social care workers; carers aged 16 years old and over; all adults aged 50 years old and over; and those aged five to 49 years old in a clinical risk group or who are household contacts of someone with immunosuppression.