North East Public Health Director warns to expect a "smaller quieter family Christmas" amidst Covid

The Government has announced its plans on how it intends to deal with and tackle Covid over the coming autumn and winter months.

  • People in Gateshead have been reacting to the recent news:

What are the main points from the Government's winter plan?

Rollout a booster jab programme for the most vulnerable to Covid:

Covid booster vaccines will be offered to people in the UK aged 50 and over, those in care homes and frontline health and social care workers, the government has announced.

It means more than 30 million people in the UK will be offered a third dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told ITV News the programme will be the "final piece of the jigsaw" in the UK's bid to end the coronavirus pandemic.

He said the government had received guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to move ahead "with a really ambitious Covid booster programme".

Three vaccines have been approved as safe and effective as boosters - AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna - but experts have said Pfizer is the preference after studies showed it is well-tolerated and works well as a booster.

Who will be offered a booster jab?

  • Those living in residential care homes for older adults

  • All adults aged 50 years or over

  • Frontline health and social care workers

  • All those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19

  • Adult household contacts of those with weakened immune systems

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Offer vaccinations to all over-12s:

Children aged 12 to 15 in England are to be offered one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine from the end of September from as early as next week, Sajid Javid has said.

The announcement comes after the UK's four chief medical officers advised the government that all of the young teens should be offered the jab in order to reduce disruption in schools.

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Deliver the 'largest ever' flu jab programme:

This year is expected to be the first in which the "seasonal influenza virus (and other respiratory viruses) will co-circulate alongside Covid-19", the government has said.

Flu levels last year were extremely low due to mask-wearing, physical and social distancing, and restricted international travel.

But in a bad year, flu has the potential to kill up to 25,000 people in the UK.

The government says the magnitude of winter Covid and flu waves is "currently unknown", but warned "mathematical modelling indicates the 2021 to 2022 influenza season in the UK could be up to 50% larger than typically seen".

In a bid to protect the NHS, the government wants everyone who is eligible to get a flu jab.

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What are the plans if the Covid situation severely worsens:

  • Compulsory mask wearing could be enforced.

  • Work from home advice could return.

  • Vaccine passports could be used for entry to large indoor events.

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