The NHS winter vaccination programme in England has accomplished an extraordinary milestone by delivering more than ten million flu vaccinations and over seven million COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable individuals in just over five weeks.
This has marked the swiftest NHS flu vaccine rollout ever recorded. An impressive record-breaking number of three million people have received both their flu and COVID-19 vaccines in a single appointment, as healthcare providers make every effort to ensure the utmost convenience for individuals seeking protection against these viruses ahead of the winter season.
On Monday, the national booking system opened its doors to those eligible, allowing them to schedule appointments for both the flu and COVID vaccines to be administered simultaneously.
Moreover, this year has witnessed the fastest deployment of COVID-19 vaccines to care homes by NHS teams, surpassing all previous efforts.
Steve Russell, Chief Delivery Officer and National Director for Vaccinations and Screening for NHS England, commented: “These uptake figures are very encouraging and show the NHS is making excellent progress in helping those most at risk of life-threatening flu and COVID-19 viruses get the protection they need this winter, but we want to ensure even more people are booking appointments.”
The NHS winter vaccination programme safeguards the most vulnerable
Care home residents were among the first to be offered the winter vaccines to boost their immunity ahead of the colder months when COVID, flu, and other viruses tend to proliferate, especially as people spend more time indoors.
Over the course of the first five weeks of the NHS winter vaccination programme, more care homes have been visited than ever before, totalling over 12,000 visits – covering more than 80% of all care homes in England.
To date, more than one-third of all winter vaccines have been administered to those eligible, and a similar proportion of individuals aged 65 and older have received the COVID-19 jab.
Eligible people must book now for their life-saving vaccinations
Despite these remarkable accomplishments, millions of eligible individuals are strongly urged to take advantage of this opportunity and receive their life-saving COVID-19 and flu vaccines to mitigate the risk of infection.
On 8 October, the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalised hit a five-month high, with 4,205 patients, signifying a 14% increase from the previous week.
The NHS is actively reaching out to all eligible for winter vaccinations and encouraging them to book appointments. Thus far, over 16 million invitations have been extended, including to individuals aged 65 and those with specific health conditions.
Reminders are being dispatched to nearly one million parents of two to three-year-olds, urging them to schedule their child’s flu vaccination at their local GP practice.
All eligible adults can book their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations by visiting protection against these viruses ahead of the winter season or on the NHS App.
