Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what preventive measures they are considering to address a potential rise in excess deaths from COVID-19 in 2025, particularly among at-risk groups, due to the changes in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendations on eligibility for vaccination against COVID-19.

The Government is guided by the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) on eligibility for vaccination programmes. Given the continued effectiveness of vaccines and improved treatments, for most people there is a much lower risk of severe illness compared to earlier in the pandemic.

The JCVI advises that older people and those who are immunosuppressed are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of severe disease and death, and that vaccination every six months remains appropriate given the durability of protection afforded by the currently available vaccines. Its advice is to offer vaccination in autumn 2025 and spring 2026 to these groups, and also any individuals living in care homes for older adults, as care homes for older people are particularly high-risk settings and may include some younger individuals. This advice is available at the GOV.UK website, in an online only format. The Government is considering this advice carefully and will respond in due course.

Appropriate levels of testing will remain to support diagnosis for clinical care and treatment, and to protect very high-risk individuals and settings. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and immunocompromised are part of the group who is eligible for COVID-19 treatments in the community, enabling them easy access to anti-viral treatments. The Government will also maintain essential COVID-19 surveillance activities in the community, primary and secondary care, and in high-risk settings.