Health directors stick to ‘reckless’ decision to only offer free flu shots to people over 65

Brits aged 50 to 60 will not be eligible to get flu shots this winter, as health directors follow their “reckless” decision to cut the vaccination schedule.

Over the past two winters, a record 35 million people have been offered vaccines amid fears of a double hit from Covid and flu epidemics.

But last month, the NHS announced it was reducing the program to pre-pandemic levels with 10 million fewer people.

A source close to the launch said the decision was “extremely reckless” because the next pandemic “could be caused by the flu virus”.

Despite the backlash, the Department of Health confirmed today that newly eligible groups will no longer receive the vaccine free of charge from the NHS.

Experts told MailOnline today that the move is “short-sighted,” and they fear it could mean the launch of the Covid’s fall booster will also exclude young people between the ages of 50 and 64.

Face masks, social distancing and travel ban rules introduced to contain the spread of the virus during the Covid crisis also brought the flu numbers to record lows worldwide.

But experts have warned that cases could hit record highs if social mixing returns to pre-pandemic norms.

A letter to the Heads of Health from the Department of Health, NHS England and the UK Health Safety Agency confirmed today that children aged 50 to 64 and children aged 11 to 15 will not be getting flu shots on the NHS as they have been over the past two winters. .

However, health officials noted that “flu activity is likely to rise again to near or above pre-pandemic levels in the winter of 2022-2023.”

It also found that a “late rise” in flu cases in the coming months “cannot be excluded”.

And the co-circulation of Covid and influenza, along with other respiratory viruses, “can add significantly to the strain on the NHS”.

Children over the age of 65, nursing home residents, those in the clinical risk group over the age of 65, primary school children and children aged 2-3 can benefit from the vaccine.

Healthcare workers, close contacts of immunocompromised persons, and frontline health and social workers may also receive the vaccine.

The recommendation is based on the recommendation of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), providing “immediate protection” to those most at risk of influenza and will reduce deaths in this cohort.

But the letter justifies the exclusion of people aged 50 to 64: “The program aims to provide immediate protection to those at highest risk for flu-related morbidity and mortality.”

“We will continue to follow JCVI’s recommendations regarding the flu vaccine schedule, but in the winter of 2022-2023, young people aged 50 to 64 will not be offered free flu shots through the NHS.”

Health chiefs said that while JCVI asked all youth under 16 to shoot, “it won’t continue until next winter”.

It is unclear how much savings will be made by scaling the program.

Four million high school students are no longer entitled to free injections, and nearly 6 million people between the ages of 50 and 64 do not.

Those in these age groups who still want to get the flu shot will have to pay up to £14.50 for an injection this year.

The decision came despite JCVI wanting to extend the launch.

Almost half (45.7%) of healthy youth aged 50 to 64 got the flu vaccine last fall; this is only slightly less than those in the clinical risk group (52.9%) who are encouraged to get the flu vaccine each year. . Inoculate.

This winter, a record 25 million pre-COVID invitations were sent.

Health officials said higher-than-normal intakes are likely due to pandemic concerns and growing awareness of how vaccines prevent disease.

The letter recommends that primary care physicians and schools recommend flu vaccines to anyone eligible for the flu vaccine “ideally” to exceed their intake for at least the past two years.

Margaret Keenan, the first person in the world to receive an approved Covid vaccine, received her spring booster today

It also urges pharmacies to “proactively offer” the flu vaccine to all eligible patients who visit their stores.

A source working on the launch told The Telegraph last month that there were concerns that the decisions were financially driven.

“Given that the next pandemic could be caused by the flu virus, stopping the flu vaccine program seems extremely reckless.”

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, a campaign group in the 60s, said MailOnline’s failure to offer the vaccine to people aged 50 to 64 was “really narrow-minded” because low immunity was likely. in the cohort.

“My guess is that the government’s decision to cut its spending on vaccines is purely economic, possibly with the Treasury instructing the Department of Health to reduce the vaccine schedule,” he said.

Reed said the cohort would likely remain unprotected from the flu and wouldn’t even “consider” paying for the vaccine privately, as they’ve always relied on the NHS for the vaccine.

He said the move raises suspicions that the group will be included in the Covid recall program in the fall, as a combined flu and Covid vaccine is being considered.

“They were shelved because they weren’t involved in the fourth vaccine launch, which we thought would be serious,” Reed said. Said.

A UK taxpayer-funded vaccine manufacturing center is said to be investigating the combination of injections, but was acquired by a US pharmaceutical giant earlier this month.

And Novavax announced this week that the combined Covid and flu vaccine is “safe and effective.”

During the launch of the booster last fall, the British were offered both the Covid vaccine and the flu shot in several guns at once.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said: “Thanks to the success of the Covid vaccine program and the care provided to those most at risk, we are now able to live with this virus and fortunately other flu-like immunization programs are back to pre-pandemic levels.

“We are incredibly grateful to all the health and social workers who played a role in last year’s successful flu campaign.”