Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the offer of a fourth covid-19 booster jab to people diagnosed with long covid.

Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a COVID-19 spring booster dose is being offered in England to all residents in care homes for older adults, individuals aged 12 years old and over who are immunosuppressed, and all adults aged 75 years old and over. Those experiencing the long term effects of COVID-19 infection are not specifically offered a spring booster dose, unless they meet the criteria for these cohorts.

On 19 May 2022, the (JCVI) published interim advice on an autumn COVID-19 booster programme. The JCVI’s current advice suggests that a COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to residents in a care home for older adults and staff; frontline health and social care workers; all those 65 years old and over; and adults aged 16 to 64 years old in a clinical risk group. The JCVI will continue to review the vaccination programme and the epidemiological situation, particularly in relation to the timing and value of doses for less vulnerable older adults and those in clinical risk groups before autumn 2022. The Government will consider the JCVI’s final recommendations later this year.

NHS England has invested £224 million to provide care and support to individuals with post-COVID-19 syndrome. There are specialised services across England which assess people experiencing longer-term health implications from COVID-19 and directs them into care pathways which provide appropriate support, treatment, and rehabilitation.