Latest news with #JointCommitteeonVaccinationandImmunisation
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Does My Covid Vaccine Still Work? I Asked A GP If It's Time For A Booster
Recently, the Covid strain XFG – nicknamed 'Stratus'– became the dominant variant in the UK. Before then, the 'Nimbus' strain was rapidly spreading. In both cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that while they were 'variants under monitoring', the 'Currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to remain effective' against the mutations. They can help to prevent extreme symptoms and reduce the risk of people getting seriously ill, the WHO explained, even though both Stratus and Nimbus strains have mutated from the original virus. But does that mean we should all be getting more Covid vaccines? Who needs to get them more often, given that their effects 'wane'? HuffPost UK asked GP, Dr Suzanne Wylie, a medical adviser for IQdoctor, about who may need yearly vaccines. 'As with the flu vaccine, COVID vaccinations are now being tailored to the most prevalent strains circulating at the time,' Dr Wylie said. 'Currently, the general advice is that most people do not need regular COVID boosters unless they fall into higher-risk categories, such as those over 75, individuals with underlying health conditions, or those who are immunocompromised.' This is different to 2024 when booster vaccines were given to everyone over 65. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said in a report that they made these changes because population-level immunity has improved, thanks to exposure to the virus and/or vaccines (this combination is called 'hybrid immunity'). As a result, they said, they chose to focus on people most at risk, including 'the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed.' For healthy younger adults, Dr Wylie added, 'routine vaccination is not usually necessary more than once a year, if at all, unless advised otherwise during periods of high transmission or in response to a new variant of concern.' The NHS say they will contact you if you're eligible for a vaccine. This may be the case if you're over 75, are immunocompromised, and/or live in a care home for adults. Dr Wylie says that 'Vaccines, including updated COVID boosters, are designed to provide protection against the most common or concerning strains each season.' 'While no vaccine offers complete immunity,' she added, 'they significantly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and complications.' But newer variants, like the Stratus strain, can 'sometimes partially evade prior immunity, which is why updated vaccines may be offered if there's evidence of increased severity or spread.' The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) monitor Covid risk levels and will help determine if a wider rollout becomes necessary. 'For now,' Dr Wylie told HuffPost UK, 'for most younger, healthy individuals, annual or less frequent vaccination is generally sufficient.' New Covid Stratus Strain Is Dominant In The UK – Here's Its Most Unique Symptom New Covid Variant Nimbus Symptom May Show Up When You Swallow, Doctor Says Reform UK MP James McMurdock Gives Up Party Whip Over Covid Loans Allegations
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Covid jabs to be offered in Wales – this is who can get one
Covid jabs to be offered in Wales – this is who can get one The eligibility for the vaccine has significantly narrowed for the vaccinations this autumn in Wales Over the past four and a half years immunity to Covid-19 has increased and the disease is mild for most people. However with it still occurring regularly in Wales older people are the most vulnerable to hospitalisation and death, according to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Vaccinations for Covid-19 are still being rolled out but the eligibility has reduced since the pandemic in 2020 when they were first introduced. Now the vaccine programme focuses on "targeted vaccination for people who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease including mortality". Jeremy Miles MS, cabinet secretary for health and social care in Wales, has announced the eligibility criteria for those who can get the vaccination as they roll out this autumn. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here . He said: "Eligibility for the autumn 2025 Covid-19 programme will be narrower than in recent years and with similar eligibility to the current spring programme. "This is in line with a transition to a narrower programme overall as high levels of population immunity have developed over the past four and a half years. "The focus of the programme is towards targeted vaccination for people who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease including mortality. Article continues below "This includes older adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed." The changes to the eligibility come after a review by the JCVI, an independent expert advisory committee making recommendations to UK governments about vaccination schedules and vaccine safety. Within the report the JCVI said: "As Covid-19 becomes an endemic disease, and with a move towards standard assessment of cost-effectiveness, the focus of the programme is shifting towards targeted vaccination of the oldest adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed. "These are the two groups who continue to be at higher risk of serious disease, including mortality." Who is eligible for the vaccine? In autumn 2025 and spring 2026 the following groups will be eligible for a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine: Residents in a care home for older adults All adults aged 75 years and over People aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group as defined in the immunosuppression sections of tables three and four of the Covid-19 chapter of the Green Book. Article continues below The immunosuppression sections of tables three and four of the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book includes: people undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression people undergoing radical radiotherapy solid organ transplant recipients bone marrow or stem cell transplant recipients anyone with HIV infection at all stages people with multiple myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. IRAK-4, NEMO, complement disorder, SCID) people who are receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating biological therapy including, but not limited to anti-TNF, alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, and patients receiving protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors people treated with steroid sparing agents such as cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil people treated with or likely to be treated with systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more per day for adults people with a history of haematological malignancy including leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma people who require long-term immunosuppressive treatment for conditions including but not limited to systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, scleroderma, and psoriasis
Cambrian News
27-05-2025
- Health
- Cambrian News
Public Health Wales urges eligible people to come forward for Covid-19 spring vaccination
Following the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), in Wales the COVID-19 spring vaccination is being offered to: people aged 75 years and over; residents in a care home for older adults; and individuals aged six months and over who have a weakened immune system because of a health condition or medical treatment
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
World-first gonorrhoea vaccine programme set to be rolled out
A vaccine for gonorrhoea will be rolled out in England as part of a world-first programme, officials have announced. The move, hailed as a 'landmark moment for sexual health', will aim to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI). It comes after the number of gonorrhoea cases in England topped 85,000 in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918, with warnings over some strains being resistant to antibiotics. Gay and bisexual men with a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a bacterial STI will be eligible under the new programme, NHS officials said. According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), gonorrhoea disproportionately impacts specific communities, such as deprived areas, people of black Caribbean ethnicity, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Diagnoses are highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the JCVI said. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there was a 9.4% increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in 2023, with cases rising from 37,095 to 40,586. The vaccine is an existing jab, known as 4CMenB, that is currently used to protect people against the meningococcal B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis. It is used in the routine childhood programme and given to babies at eight weeks, 16 weeks and one year. Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: 'The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistance strains of the bacteria.' Eligible patients will be identified and contacted in the coming weeks, with the jab offered through local authority-commissioned sexual health services from August 1. And while at the appointment, patients will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B. Dr Doyle added: 'NHS teams across the country are now working hard to plan the rollout and ensure we hit the ground running, while the routine mpox vaccination programme builds on the vital progress the NHS has made in recent months in reaching as many eligible people as possible.' Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK. Symptoms can include green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating and pain and discomfort in the rectum. For women, symptoms can include lower abdominal pain or bleeding between periods. However, many people do not have symptoms. The jab contains proteins from neisseria meningitidis – the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease – which is closely genetically related with neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that causes gonorrhoea. The JCVI said studies suggest the 4CMenB vaccine has between 32.7 to 42% effectiveness against gonorrhoea, and while vaccination would slash the risk of becoming infected it would not eliminate it completely. However, it stressed that vaccination would be beneficial, as previous gonorrhoea infection is thought to offer little protection against future infections. The programme comes amid warnings that cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone – usually the first line of treatment – are on the rise in England. This means the bacteria that causes the STI has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic. Some cases are also classed as 'extensively drug resistant' – or XDR – meaning the infection did not respond to ceftriaxone or the second line of treatment. In March, UKHSA revealed there were 17 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea between January 2024 and March 2025. In the same period, there were nine XDR cases reported, compared to five cases between 2022 and 2023. Dr Sema Mandal, consultant epidemiologist and deputy director at UKHSA, said: 'This vaccination programme is a hugely welcome intervention at a time when we're seeing very concerning levels of gonorrhoea, including antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea. 'In 2023 we saw gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest since records began in 1918. 'Not only will this roll-out provide much needed protection to those that need it most, but it will make the UK the first country in the world to offer this protection and a world leader in protecting people against gonorrhoea.' Health minister Ashley Dalton urged people to take up the vaccine offer 'not only keep each other safe but help tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance'. She added: 'By targeting those most at risk, we can reduce transmission rates from this unpleasant disease that is becoming harder to treat and prevent thousands of cases over the next few years.' Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, described the jab as a 'game changer'. 'This alone could cut 40% of new gonorrhoea cases,' he said. It comes after 12 new mpox vaccination sites opened across England in February, meaning every area in the country can now offer jabs to those at a higher risk of getting the virus. Previously, vaccines were only available to eligible people at 19 sites across London, Brighton in East Sussex, and Manchester. Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said: 'This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England. 'A new gonorrhoea vaccination programme – alongside continued rollout of mpox vaccination – forms a vital part of our efforts to address the significant inequalities we are seeing in sexual health outcomes.'
South Wales Guardian
21-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
World-first gonorrhoea vaccine programme set to be rolled out
The move, hailed as a 'landmark moment for sexual health', will aim to tackle rising levels of the sexually transmitted infection (STI). It comes after the number of gonorrhoea cases in England topped 85,000 in 2023, the highest since records began in 1918, with warnings over some strains being resistant to antibiotics. Gay and bisexual men with a recent history of multiple sexual partners or a bacterial STI will be eligible under the new programme, NHS officials said. According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), gonorrhoea disproportionately impacts specific communities, such as deprived areas, people of black Caribbean ethnicity, and gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. Diagnoses are highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, the JCVI said. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there was a 9.4% increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men in 2023, with cases rising from 37,095 to 40,586. The vaccine is an existing jab, known as 4CMenB, that is currently used to protect people against the meningococcal B disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause meningitis and sepsis. It is used in the routine childhood programme and given to babies at eight weeks, 16 weeks and one year. Dr Amanda Doyle, national director for primary care and community services at NHS England, said: 'The launch of a world-first routine vaccination for gonorrhoea is a huge step forward for sexual health and will be crucial in protecting individuals, helping to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the rising rates of antibiotic resistance strains of the bacteria.' Eligible patients will be identified and contacted in the coming weeks, with the jab offered through local authority-commissioned sexual health services from August 1. And while at the appointment, patients will also be offered jabs for mpox, human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis A and B. Dr Doyle added: 'NHS teams across the country are now working hard to plan the rollout and ensure we hit the ground running, while the routine mpox vaccination programme builds on the vital progress the NHS has made in recent months in reaching as many eligible people as possible.' Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STI in the UK. Symptoms can include green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating and pain and discomfort in the rectum. For women, symptoms can include lower abdominal pain or bleeding between periods. However, many people do not have symptoms. The jab contains proteins from neisseria meningitidis – the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease – which is closely genetically related with neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria that causes gonorrhoea. The JCVI said studies suggest the 4CMenB vaccine has between 32.7 to 42% effectiveness against gonorrhoea, and while vaccination would slash the risk of becoming infected it would not eliminate it completely. However, it stressed that vaccination would be beneficial, as previous gonorrhoea infection is thought to offer little protection against future infections. The programme comes amid warnings that cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone – usually the first line of treatment – are on the rise in England. This means the bacteria that causes the STI has developed the ability to survive and multiply even when exposed to the antibiotic. Some cases are also classed as 'extensively drug resistant' – or XDR – meaning the infection did not respond to ceftriaxone or the second line of treatment. In March, UKHSA revealed there were 17 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea between January 2024 and March 2025. In the same period, there were nine XDR cases reported, compared to five cases between 2022 and 2023. Dr Sema Mandal, consultant epidemiologist and deputy director at UKHSA, said: 'This vaccination programme is a hugely welcome intervention at a time when we're seeing very concerning levels of gonorrhoea, including antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea. 'In 2023 we saw gonorrhoea diagnoses reach their highest since records began in 1918. 'Not only will this roll-out provide much needed protection to those that need it most, but it will make the UK the first country in the world to offer this protection and a world leader in protecting people against gonorrhoea.' Health minister Ashley Dalton urged people to take up the vaccine offer 'not only keep each other safe but help tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance'. She added: 'By targeting those most at risk, we can reduce transmission rates from this unpleasant disease that is becoming harder to treat and prevent thousands of cases over the next few years.' Richard Angell, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, described the jab as a 'game changer'. 'This alone could cut 40% of new gonorrhoea cases,' he said. It comes after 12 new mpox vaccination sites opened across England in February, meaning every area in the country can now offer jabs to those at a higher risk of getting the virus. Previously, vaccines were only available to eligible people at 19 sites across London, Brighton in East Sussex, and Manchester. Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said: 'This is excellent news and a landmark moment for sexual health in England. 'A new gonorrhoea vaccination programme – alongside continued rollout of mpox vaccination – forms a vital part of our efforts to address the significant inequalities we are seeing in sexual health outcomes.'
