Wales’ Chief Medical Officer expects updated ‘advice’ today on jabs for 16 and 17 years olds

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales has said he is waiting for updated advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on recommending that all 16 and 17-year-olds should be offered a Covid vaccine.

Dr Frank Atherton has said he expects updated advice from the JCVI will be published today, Wednesday, August 4.

Under existing advice, young people aged 16 to 17 with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious COVID-19 should have already been offered vaccination.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales this morning, Dr Atherton said: “We are waiting for the JCVI, which I understand may well put supplementary further advice out today.”

“When we get that we’ll share that with ministers and ministers will make a decision about what to do.”

“What I can say is that we have a great deal of trust in JCVI, it has led us well, not just through this pandemic but through other issues [such as] pandemic flu in the past and many other occasions and so we have a degree of trust in JCVI.”

“It would be extremely unusual for the Welsh Government not follow JCVI guidance but thats obviously for ministers to decide.”

Booster jabs

Details have been released on the vaccine booster programme.

In an update, executive director of nursing and midwifery, in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Gill Harris has said:

“Along with the rest of NHS Wales, we have been undertaking detailed planning for a COVID-19 booster campaign, which will begin in September.

“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine should be given to those who are most vulnerable to serious infection, as there is a likelihood that the immunity provided from having two doses could reduce over time.

“Based on the JCVI’s interim advice, we are planning to offer a booster dose to the following groups of people, as part of a two-stage process.”

The two stages are outlined as:

Stage 1:

• Adults aged 16 and over who are immunosuppressed
• Those living in residential care homes for older adults
• All adults aged 70 years or over
• Adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable
• Frontline health and social care workers

Stage 2:

• All adults aged 50 years and over
• Adults aged 16-49 year who are in an influenza or COVID-19 at-risk group
• Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

The health board says there is no need for people in these groups to contact them, “We will contact those that are eligible when it is their turn.”

“In order to roll the COVID-19 vaccine booster programme out as quickly and efficiently as possible, we are currently planning where operationally possible for boosters to be administered through a combination of Vaccination Centres, GP surgeries and Community Pharmacies.”

“This is similar to the delivery model used during the initial programme. This mixed approach, which utilises the expertise of our primary care partners, is essential, given the rural nature of many of the communities we serve.”