Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to inform patients (a) with chronic autoimmune conditions and (b) on immunosuppressive therapy of their eligibility for covid boosters in winter 2025-26; and what steps the NHS plans to take to help ensure such patients are protected.

NHS England, in partnership with the UK Heath Security Agency and the Department, has developed a suite of communications resources to encourage eligible people to get their autumn and winter vaccinations. As part of this, NHS England has produced a variety of posters and digital-screens, as well as a factsheet specifically designed for pharmacies to support conversations with individuals about eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine is offered to those in the population most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination. For autumn and winter 2025/26, the COVID-19 vaccination is offered to:

- residents in a care home for older adults;

- all adults aged 75 years old and over; and

- persons aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in tables three and four of the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book, which is available at the following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68b5be03536d629f9c82a97d/Green-book-chapter-COVID-19_1_9_25.pdf.